Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) led a letter with Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01), Congressman David Valadao (CA-21), Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14), Congressman Adam Schiff (CA-28) and 44 colleagues to the Department of State and USAID urging them to address the overwhelming humanitarian crisis in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) as a result of Azerbaijan’s aggression. This is especially important as the people of Artsakh celebrate their 31st Independence Day and the birth of their democracy on September 2.
“We are deeply concerned by the lack of meaningful humanitarian aid to the vulnerable Armenian population in Artsakh and urge you to take immediate steps dedicating significant resources to these individuals,” the lawmakers wrote. “The $5,000,000 in Fiscal Year 2021 funding that USAID has committed, and the assistance allocated through the United Nations’ Armenia Interagency Response Plan (IA-RP) have been wholly insufficient to address this crisis. Many families have bravely returned to their homes in Artsakh despite the ongoing threat of violence from Azerbaijani troops and the food, shelter, and energy insecurities they face. We are also extremely concerned that the individuals who remain in Artsakh have not received any of the previously allocated U.S. assistance.
“Our country has historically promoted peace in Artsakh through U.S. government-funded landmine and unexploded ordnance clearance efforts. We have also supported rebuilding through millions of dollars of direct aid for humanitarian assistance initiatives like maternal health care and clean drinking water projects. The need for this assistance has only grown due to Azerbaijan’s indiscriminate bombing campaigns in 2020 and the ongoing provocations by their troops which further endanger food, water, energy, and other critical resources for these communities. It is especially urgent because of the recent evacuation and closure of the Lachin/Berdzor corridor, forcing Armenian families to leave their homes and shutting off a vital route used for transportation and communications between Artsakh and Armenia.
“We strongly urge the Department of State and USAID to significantly increase funding that will directly assist the Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh, including assistance for housing, food security, water and sanitation, health care, rehabilitation, and demining and UXO clearance services they need to safely rebuild their lives, homes, and communities. We also urge you to take every action possible to protect the historic and cultural Armenian sites in territory held by Azerbaijan, which many reports indicate are currently under threat.”
The people of Artsakh continue to face severe hardships caused both by the deadly 44-day war that Azerbaijani forces provoked in 2020 and the ongoing aggressions committed against innocent civilians. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has acknowledged that over 90,000 refugees displaced to Armenia, the majority of whom are women, children, and elderly, are suffering through an acute humanitarian crisis. However, there has been concerningly little international attention paid to the displaced families from Artsakh living in Armenia and reports indicate little, if any, U.S. assistance has made it to those still living in the territory.
The letter is available here.
Original source can be found here.
