Middle East-Eurasia Click on a country to learn more Armenia In the late 1980s, Armenia entered a period of severe economic, social and political crisis caused by the combined shocks of a devastating earthquake, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and war with Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. As a country with few resources, the crisis crippled the comprehensive social safety net enjoyed under the Soviet era. Lacking personal resources due to the devaluation of the currency, loss of employment and opportunities for new employment, the majority of the population faced poverty almost overnight. While most observers and donors consider that the humanitarian crisis in Armenia is over, an estimated 55% of the population remains below the poverty line. Read More Azerbaijan Bordering the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus Mountains, Azerbaijan sits on rapidly developing petroleum resources whose benefit for the vulnerable is still unseen, evidenced by the fact that 49 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.  Slightly smaller than the size of Maine, Azerbaijan shares borders with Iran and Russia, as well as with its Caucasus neighbors Georgia and Armenia.   Read More Egypt Save the Children first began working in Egypt in 1982, establishing child-centered programs in the underdeveloped rural village of El Minya, which is located some 250 miles south of the capital city of Cairo. Today, Save the Children works to improve conditions for children and families in Cairo, as well as in the El Minya, Giza, Qena, and Sohag Governorates, with programs reaching about 400,000 people, including nearly 4,000 sponsored children. Read More Georgia When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, Georgia became an independent republic. Its economy quickly collapsed and crime, gang violence and corruption increased dramatically. The Rose Revolution of 2003, led to the election of the National Movement party’s Mikheil Saakashvili and since then, some progress has been made in restoring the country’s infrastructure. However, civil conflicts in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have led to the displacement of 300,000 Georgian children and adults.   Read More Jordan The Arab nation that shares the longest border with Israel and the West Bank, the Kingdom of Jordan is a small country challenged by insufficient supplies of water, oil and other natural resources. It also has a history of absorbing refugees — over a million refugees from conflicts in 1948 and 1967, as well as more than 300,000 Palestinians expelled from Kuwait and other Gulf states in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War. In 2007, the cycle continued as Iraqis fled their war-torn country for refuge in Jordan.   Read More Lebanon Save the Children has been working in Lebanon since 1953, most recently, responding to the needs of one of the largest but most neglected population groups – youth (aged 14-24). Save the Children’s Youth Programs in Lebanon take a holistic approach that views young people as part of a dynamic social system and include activities and programs which focus on male and female youth not only as individuals, but also as interacting with family, peers, community and society. Read More Tajikistan A Central Asian country bordered by Afghanistan to the south and the former Soviet republics of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to the north, was the poorest republic in the former Soviet Union. Immediately after independence it was wracked by a civil war that pitted neighbor against neighbor and resulted in the loss of 60,000 lives and the destruction of the country’s fragile economy. Read More West Bank and Gaza Strip Political, social and economic challenges have a significant negative impact on the quality of life of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. They are adversely affected by incursions, an atmosphere of conflict, closures and policies that have severely restricted mobility, crippled the economy and disrupted access to humanitarian relief and basic services, including children’s education. Children and their families are severely affected by the changing and volatile conditions and Save the Children continues to assist them as they aspire to achieve a brighter future.   Read More