YEREVAN (Novosti-Armenia), June 26–A new school for refugee and local children was opened in the village of in Armenia’s Syunik region in connection with the World  Refugee Day, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Armenia informed.

World Refugee Day was established in 2000 by the United Nations General Assembly and is celebrated on June 20 each year.

The school’s construction was funded by the Japanese government, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Armenia, the Armenian Social Investment Fund (ASIF) and the Syunik regional administration.

On the school inauguration day, Bushra Halepota, the representative of UNHCR in Armenia, congratulated the families and children of Ishkhanasar and wished them a happy life and excellent education in the new school.

“A school is a second home, the bonds of friendship and values developed there remain with you throughout your lives. It is the spring-board to the future which will make you enlightened citizens of Armenia and the entire world,” Halepota said.

Halepota also noted that education is especially important for refugees to rebuild and improve their lives. ” Today millions of children throughout the world are deprived of the opportunity to go to school, whereas you are among those blessed ones who have that opportunity for education, which is the guarantee of your assured and consistent life,” Halepota said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees together with the Armenian Social Investment Fund also supported both the renovations of the State University College in Goris by providing technical materials and the construction of another school in Vardanadzor village. The construction was funded by the UN Development Programme, US and UK Embassies, local communities and international organizations.

Translated from Russian by Yerevan Report