anush babajanyan » 88earthquake

“Everyone shall have the Right to Housing” photo album published

Anush Babajanyan — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:59:05 +0000

The photo album on housing conditions in Gyumri has been published. This album is distributed for free, if you would like a copy please send me an email to anush.babajanyan at gmail.com.

Living in Gyumri Domiks/Everyone Shall Have the Right to Housing

Anush Babajanyan — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:07:17 +0000

Twenty two years after hitting Gyumri, the 1988 earthquake in Armenia still continues to leave victims. More than 2,000 families continue to live in domiks, small temporary houses provided for the homeless by the Soviet government for two years, or built by the homeless themselves.

Constitution of the Republic of Armenia states that “Everyone shall have the right to a standard of living adequate for himself/herself and for his/her family, including housing as well as improvement of living conditions. The state shall take the necessary measures for the exercise of this right by the citizens.”

Click to view slideshow.

The Fountain District – Gyumri

Anush Babajanyan — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 08:28:46 +0000

Twenty years after the earthquake the situation in the Fountain District in Gyumri, Armenia, has not changed much. On 7 December 1988, as a powerful earthquake struck the town of Gyumri and the nearby territory, tens of thousands of people were left homeless. Many found shelter in small houses that were given by the government or found by the people themselves. The government promised then that in a two years time the people will be given apartments. Now that 20 years have passed there are still roughly 4000 people waiting to get an apartment.

The Fountain District is one of the spots where about 300 households have been waiting for their home for 20 years.

Geghetsik Gevorgyan lives with her ill son in a house in one of the farthest corners of the Fountain District. She has been moving from one small house to another after the earthquake ruined the building where her apartment was. Geghetsik’s pension of $80 a month is all they have for living.

Harutyun and Manik Gevorgyan have been married for six months. Harutyun moved to his wife’s house after the wedding. He lost his home after the earthquake. His family received a house from the government but sold it soon. He and his wife clean the streets for a living.

Chichak Petrosyan’s house is always full of relatives who come to help. She found the place, which used to be an ice-cream booth, right after she lost her home during the earthquake, and has been living there since then. The people in the images are her relatives and neighbors.

Lena Atoyan and her daughter Susanna have lived in the same house for twenty years, waiting to get an apartment. Lena has been in bed some several months because of an illness in her legs. Lena and Susanna are only supported by a pension of $90 a month.