Armenia Food
Armenia
Prison conditions are harsh and life-threatening. Facilities are often overcrowded, and food is inadequate to preserve health unless supplemented by assistance from families. Medical and sanitary facilities in prisons are inadequate. Tuberculosis and other communicable diseases are common, and there were a number of deaths from such diseases during the year. Although, in principle, an agreement has been reached to transfer responsibility for prisons from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Ministry of Justice with a goal of improved oversight, no formal action to that effect was taken by year's end. Physical abuse by guards and other prisoners is a problem. In August the Prosecutor General's office announced that 54 prisoners had died in prison of in 1999, the highest count for any year since independence in 1991. The Government's Human Rights Commission visited the main prison in Gyumri in October and reported that it found conditions there to be "shocking" with the prison filthy, ... [Read More]
Armenia
Armenia is a constitutional parliamentary democracy; however, the directly elected President has extensive powers of decree and appointment, including of the Prime Minister, that are not balanced by the legislature or an independent judiciary. Robert Kocharian was re-elected President in March. There were flaws and substantial irregularities in both the February and March rounds of the presidential elections and in the May parliamentary elections. A constitutional referendum on executive powers failed in a national vote in May. The Constitution provides for an independent judiciary; however, in practice, judges were subject to pressure from the executive and executive branches, and corruption was a problem.The National Police and the National Security Service are responsible for domestic security, intelligence activities, border controls, and the police force. The civilian authorities maint ... [Read More]
V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G
France is a destination country for women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and involuntary domestic servitude, primarily from Eastern and Central Europe and Africa. The number of Chinese women trafficked to France for sexual exploitation increased in 2004. The government estimates that there are 10,000 to 12,000 trafficking victims in France, 3,000-8,000 of whom are children forced into prostitution and labor. Nigerian trafficking networks continued to expand their activities in France. Trafficking of Brazilian women and girls for sexual exploitation to French Guiana — a French possession — remained a serious problem. The Government of France fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Although the government did not provide full data on investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentences, the Secretary of State has ... [Read More]
U.S. Assistance to Armenia – Fiscal Year 2004
Donated humanitarian commodities valued at approximately $15 million - including medicines, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and supplies, school equipment and supplies, clothing, and food – are shipped and distributed to the most needy Armenians in the country's rural towns and villages. The U.S. has supported a medical outpatient clinic in the city of Alaverdi since October 2001. In addition, the U.S. Government will provide additional food-aid commodities to be distributed to vulnerable groups through the World Food Program's relief operations. USDA executes a program to install or repair village water wells in selected villages with drinking water for domestic and livestock use and for crop irrigation. One hundred communities benefited from this program through FY 2004. ... [Read More]
Armenia
Prison conditions were Spartan and medical treatment was inadequate; however, according to domestic human rights organizations, conditions continued to improve. Some facilities were less overcrowded, food was better prepared, a special tuberculosis institution was built, although not operational at year's end, and prisoners' rights were codified in writing and displayed throughout the prisons. On October 1, responsibility for prisons was transferred from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Ministry of Justice. Nevertheless, physical abuse by guards and other prisoners continued to be a problem. During the year, 27 prisoners died in custody (18 died in prison, while 9 deaths occurred in a group of persons who were on probation.). On October 2000, the President's Commission on Human Rights visited the main prison in Gyumri, and reported that it found conditions there to be "shocking," and that the prison was filthy, cold, and in poor repair. Officials reportedly were indifferent to t ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
Dog food and cat food are readily available, though western brands are more expensive than in the U.S. ... Caucasian hospitality is legendary and stems from ancient tradition. Social gatherings center around sumptuous presentations of course after course of elaborately prepared, well-seasoned (but not spicy-hot) food. The host or hostess will often put morsels on a guest’s plate whenever it is empty or fill his or her glass when it gets low. After a helping or two it is acceptable to refuse politely or, more simply, just leave a little uneaten food. ... [Read More]
Armenia
According to the office of the Military Prosecutor, there were 987 crimes committed in the armed forces during the year, compared to 1,184 in 2001. There were 62 deaths of military servicemen reportedly due to mistreatment, training related accidents, and illness during the year (see Section 1.c.). On February 25, a fellow serviceman beat to death Artem Sarkisian, a 22-year-old soldier in an army detachment in the city of Vanadzor. Doctors at a local military hospital ruled that Sarkisian was killed by food poisoning; however, an autopsy conducted in Yerevan found severe brain and abdominal injuries that most likely resulted from a violent death. As a result of investigation by the regional office of Military Procurator, more than 12 individuals were arrested, including the two soldiers who assaulted Sarkisian, several officers, and doctors from the local military hospital. On October 21, the trial of the arrested individuals in a Vanadzor court began, and was ongoing at y ... [Read More]
Armenia
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via the CDC’s Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization’s (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith. ... [Read More]
Armenia (04/05)
Trade: Exports--$678.1 million (f.o.b., 81.3% to countries outside CIS): diamonds, scrap metal, machinery and equipment, brandy, copper ore. Export partners--Belgium 18.3%, Israel 21%, Russia 13.9%, U.S. 8.3%, Iran 3.3%. Imports--$1.269 billion (f.o.b., 73.6% from countries outside the CIS): natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, and diamonds. Import partners--Russia 16.4%, Belgium 10.2%, Israel 9.7%, Iran 5.3%, U.S. 8.0%. ... This steady economic progress has earned Armenia increasing support from international institutions. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), as well as other international financial institutions (IFIs) and foreign countries are extending considerable grants and loans. Total loans extended to Armenia since 1993 exceed $1.1 billion. These loans are targeted at reducing the budget deficit, stabilizing the local currency; developing private businesses; energy; the agriculture, food processing, transportation, and health and education sectors; and ongoing rehabilitation work in the earthquake zone. ... [Read More]
|