SOS Children in Azerbaijan
Formerly part of the Soviet Union, independence in 1992 was followed by huge social and economic upheaval, soaring inflation and the breakdown of industry and services. In the early nineties, conflict with Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorny-Karabakh, resulted in thousands of casualties and the displacement within Azerbaijan of about one million people.
Despite abundant resources of oil and natural gas, Azerbaijan has very high unemployment. The standard of living is low and poverty and destitution are increasing. The oil-generated wealth in Baku has not filtered filtered down to the most vulnerable - children, the disabled and elderly, and refugees and internally displaced people. Basic services such as refuse clearance are inadequate, with serious health implications while dangerous levels of pollution have caused high rates of disability amongst children. Respiratory conditions and parasitic infections are the principal causes of infant and under-five mortality.
SOS Children's Baku community, the first in Azerbaijan, opened in May 2000. Many of the children came from the Ganja City Orphanage and for some it is their first, real home. Pleasantly situated in a residential area on the outskirts of Baku, amongst olive groves and pine trees overlooking the Caspian Sea, it has fourteen family houses and a kindergarten for the younger children, as well as children from the neighbourhood. Older children attend local schools. Leisure activities include dancing and karate for the older boys.
A second SOS Children's village opened in Ganja, the country's second largest city, in 2005.
Local contacts
SOS Children's Villages Azerbaijan
27 Sadikhjan Str, Khatai District
370 027 Baku
Azerbaijan
Tel +994/12/471835-72
Fax +994/12/471219
e-mail sosaz@azdata.net
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