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REACHING OUT CONTINUES TO SYRIA: AID RELIEF AND DONATIONS CONTINUE FOR EMBATTLED ARMENIAN COMMUNITY
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow
News | 25.10.12 | 14:53
Fund-raising, as well as food and medication donations continue in
Armenia and Diaspora in support of Syrian-Armenians who have found
themselves in a dire situation because of the civil war.
Due to the efforts of "Help Your Brother" initiative by the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun, a second flight carrying
two tons of relief supplies (powdered milk and medications) for
crisis-ravaged Syria left Armenia this week aboard a Syrian Airlines
flight headed to Aleppo.
Through this initiative more than 45 tons of food supplies have been
contributed by many in Armenia in the course of the past two months,
a week ago the first shipment with 14 tons of humanitarian supplies
was delivered to Aleppo.
Coordinator of the initiative Lilit Galstyan says they only consider
shipment of humanitarian supplies by passenger aircraft, because there
is no other option (Syrian Airlines reach Aleppo via Iran and Iraq).
"Turkey has closed its airspace for Syria, Armavia Armenian airlines
have stopped flights to Syria, so this is the only way. It's a
passenger plane, hence after loading passenger luggage we send as
much as there is space left," Galstyan told ArmeniaNow.
She informs that numerous organizations and individuals continue
joining the initiative with their contributions. VivaCell-MTS telephone
operator is running an sms-donation campaign, by which more than
6,300 subscribers have donated 200 drams (50 cents) each.
Galstyan says the initiative will further hold campaigns in support
of the Syrian Armenians who have moved to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
The solid Armenian community started leaving Syria early this year
because of the civil war when the clashes between the opposition and
the government troops reached Aleppo, where the majority of Armenians
live. By Diaspora ministry data, there are now some 3,000 Syrian
Armenians in Armenia, and the death toll of Armenians in Syria is up
to three dozens. The majority of the refugees say they are planning
to return to their homes in Syria once the war is over. There are no
definite data on the number of remaining Armenians in Syria.
Two major charitable organizations - the Armenian General Benevolent
Union (AGBU) and Hayastan All-Armenian Fund - have joined the efforts
to help Syrian Armenians.
AGBU announced on Wednesday that Union delegates and guests to its
recent Assembly meeting in Yerevan, had donated $250,000. Earlier AGBU
allotted one million dollars to take care of Syrian-Armenians' needs.
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has stated its decision to spend 10 percent
from this year's donations on assistance to Syrian-Armenians.
By Siranuysh Gevorgyan
ArmeniaNow
News | 25.10.12 | 14:53
Fund-raising, as well as food and medication donations continue in
Armenia and Diaspora in support of Syrian-Armenians who have found
themselves in a dire situation because of the civil war.
Due to the efforts of "Help Your Brother" initiative by the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun, a second flight carrying
two tons of relief supplies (powdered milk and medications) for
crisis-ravaged Syria left Armenia this week aboard a Syrian Airlines
flight headed to Aleppo.
Through this initiative more than 45 tons of food supplies have been
contributed by many in Armenia in the course of the past two months,
a week ago the first shipment with 14 tons of humanitarian supplies
was delivered to Aleppo.
Coordinator of the initiative Lilit Galstyan says they only consider
shipment of humanitarian supplies by passenger aircraft, because there
is no other option (Syrian Airlines reach Aleppo via Iran and Iraq).
"Turkey has closed its airspace for Syria, Armavia Armenian airlines
have stopped flights to Syria, so this is the only way. It's a
passenger plane, hence after loading passenger luggage we send as
much as there is space left," Galstyan told ArmeniaNow.
She informs that numerous organizations and individuals continue
joining the initiative with their contributions. VivaCell-MTS telephone
operator is running an sms-donation campaign, by which more than
6,300 subscribers have donated 200 drams (50 cents) each.
Galstyan says the initiative will further hold campaigns in support
of the Syrian Armenians who have moved to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
The solid Armenian community started leaving Syria early this year
because of the civil war when the clashes between the opposition and
the government troops reached Aleppo, where the majority of Armenians
live. By Diaspora ministry data, there are now some 3,000 Syrian
Armenians in Armenia, and the death toll of Armenians in Syria is up
to three dozens. The majority of the refugees say they are planning
to return to their homes in Syria once the war is over. There are no
definite data on the number of remaining Armenians in Syria.
Two major charitable organizations - the Armenian General Benevolent
Union (AGBU) and Hayastan All-Armenian Fund - have joined the efforts
to help Syrian Armenians.
AGBU announced on Wednesday that Union delegates and guests to its
recent Assembly meeting in Yerevan, had donated $250,000. Earlier AGBU
allotted one million dollars to take care of Syrian-Armenians' needs.
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has stated its decision to spend 10 percent
from this year's donations on assistance to Syrian-Armenians.