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Washington, D.C. - Today, in a letter spearheaded by Congressional Armenian Caucus Vice-Chair Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) along with Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), Members of Congress urged the leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs to include $50 million in humanitarian aid to Artsakh in the upcoming omnibus spending bill, reported the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). The letter, while appreciating the $50 million already included in the House-passed appropriations package to bolster Armenia's democratic, economic and energy reforms, urged another $50 million in assistance for the "Armenian people of Artsakh who are still recovering from the war that was initiated by Azerbaijani and Turkish forces in the fall of 2020, which resulted in significant loss of life and large refugee flows." In the aftermath of the war, the ongoing border disputes have had a "devastating impact on the Armenian people of Artsakh" and it must be ensured that they have the humanitarian assistance and the "resources they need to recover." If adopted, the funds will be allocated for resettlement and humanitarian assistance support to the Armenian victims of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including people residing in and displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. The letter emphasized that "such assistance will help to meet basic human needs, including maternity healthcare and drinking water programs." The letter concluded with an urge to "consider this funding as an integral part of any successful post-conflict renewal in the region." "Given the ongoing humanitarian needs caused by the unprovoked war by Azerbaijan, with the full support of Turkey against the Armenian people of Artsakh, we commend Caucus leaders Schiff, Pallone and Speier for this initiative," stated Assembly Congressional Relations Director Mariam Khaloyan.
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.
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