.png){kind=small}
Washington D.C. – The Armenian Assembly of America, the largest, non-partisan Armenian-American advocacy organization in the United States, sent a letter requesting that $100 million in emergency humanitarian aid for Armenia be included in the final version of the FY2021 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. The request letter was sent to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees and Subcommittees on State-Foreign Operations. A copy of the letter can be found here.
“The people of Nagorno-Karabakh have been under constant military assault for the last six weeks, and last week’s forced agreement that ended the conflict entirely ignored the United States’ role in the region,” said Mariam Khaloyan, Congressional Relations Director of the Armenian Assembly of America. “The U.S. has supported the development of Armenia’s civil and democratic institutions since the end of the Cold War, and the rapidly expanding humanitarian crisis threatens to destabilize Armenia and the wider region.
“The U.S. must reassert its leadership in the region, which starts with providing $100 million in emergency humanitarian aid to protect the people of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh from the disastrous results of Azerbaijan’s brutal assault.”
Excerpt from the letter to Appropriators
“As you know, this Fall, an unprovoked war was launched by Azerbaijan against the Armenian people. For six weeks from September 27 to November 9, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh were subjected to a military offensive by the government of Azerbaijan, backed by the Turkish military and jihadist mercenaries. As a result, thousands of soldiers were killed and wounded in defense of Artsakh, while hundreds of civilians became casualties. Upwards of one hundred thousand people fled their homes for safety from the incessant and indiscriminate bombing of towns and cities. Homes, hospitals, churches, schools, and other civilian structures were destroyed by missiles, cluster munitions, and strike drones.
In the absence of America’s leadership, the Armenian people found themselves in a dire situation and its government was pressured into a Russian-brokered deal that seeks to negate America’s long-standing role as a Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group in negotiating a lasting peace agreement. The United States should not allow the corrupt and authoritarian regimes of Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan to sideline America’s leadership and leave a vulnerable Christian nation at risk of yet another genocide. America must do everything it can to ensure the safety and security of the Armenian people both in Armenia and in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as extend a robust emergency aid package to address the humanitarian crisis generated by Azerbaijan’s ruthless war.”
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
For more information, contact: Mariam Khaloyan at mariam@aaainc.org.
###