Syrian Armenians to have their share from US aid (video)
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has voiced its continued support for direct U.S. aid to Nagorno Karabakh and increase aid to Armenia, Press Secretary of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Elizabeth Chuljyan told Voice of America. “The Committee’s decision was an important step in strengthening relations between the US and Artsakh,” she said. The program has, with bipartisan backing, provided humanitarian aid to the citizens of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic since 1998. This aid program provided since 1998 meets pressing humanitarian needs of the citizens of Artsakh. Also, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee decided to increase the allocations to Armenia by 10 percent and made specific recommendation of $20.06 million in economic aid to Armenia. Under the program, dozens of young Armenians get an opportunity to continue their education abroad, hundreds of women are diagnosed free of charge and have an opportunity to receive free treatment if they are diagnosed with cancer. Also, thousands of mines are found and rendered harmless in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Thanks to the U.S. allocations, dozens of villages in Armenia have been provided with drinking water and irrigation, lamps were placed in the streets of provincial towns and villages to provide night lighting, small-sized businesses were given an opportunity to take loans. Elizabeth Chuljyan says the U.S. aid also had an important role in strengthening ties between the US, Armenia and Artsakh. The Armenian community is not trying to ensure that part of the $195 million aid allocated by the US to Syrian refugees be given to Syrian Armenians who fled the country and resettled in other countries. “ANCA wants to make sure that all the Armenians who moved from Syria to Armenia and other countries receive aid," she said.
