In Erebuni, one of the capital’s poorest residential districts, approximately two hundred families inhabit a dilapidated hostel complex that once accommodated workers from the nearby chemical factory. The condition of the building should be enough to raise alarm in most civilized countries but the local council says that it is none of their concern. There are no windows left on the stairwell now exposed to the elements, and the elevators no longer work after residents cannibalized their innards long ago.

A four year old child pushed another on this stairwell last summer and one and half year old Isabella fell through a hole in the railings seven floors to her death. Her mother, Yevgenia, shrugs off her loss although from time to time, tears still swell in her eyes when she remembers.

Yevgenia has four other children to bring up in two tiny rooms furnished only by three rusting, metal bed frames and a divan covered with rags that serve as bedclothes. They’ve lived in this apartment for over a decade now and don’t even have running water. Her children instead collect water from those more fortunate living below.

Now, her children no longer beg on the streets after Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) included them in their Prevention program but that is not to say that their situation has improved. Somewhat ironically, although most of the inhabitants of the hostel are living in abject poverty, only two fall within the remit of the international medical organization.

“I agree that many families in this building live in very difficult conditions,” admits Samuel Hanryon, MSF’s former Country Director, “but their situation is not the same. For example, we can only work with two of these families because there is a problem with violence. The needs are enormous in Armenia but we are not the Government…”

Which is probably just as well.

Across the road, two former officials have erected large and opulent mansions, an arrogant display of wealth to contrast against the extreme poverty opposite.

http://www.oneworld.am/journalism/articles/underclass.html

It’s also available in my book, Armenia: Poverty, Transition & Democracy which is also available for download in PDF format:

http://www.oneworld.am/armenia_book.pdf