Armenian American leaders talk Syria aid at U.S. government briefing

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian American civic, church, and charitable organization leaders from across the United States took part in a U.S. government briefing on Syria humanitarian assistance efforts by the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) said.

The July 18 briefing was held at the State Department and included participation, via tele-conference, by representatives of a broad range of community leaders. The full array of urgent humanitarian issues of concern to Armenian Americans were raised by community leaders during the meeting.

The Armenian community of Syria, like many other Christian and minority populations, has been caught in the middle of fighting between government and opposition forces, suffering along with the rest of the population from food and energy shortages, blockades, violence, and instability. The large Christian Armenian population in Aleppo, along with the smaller communities in Damascus, Kessab, and elsewhere have been targets of attacks and kidnappings.

Among the Armenian American community's publicly-stated humanitarian priorities, going into the meeting, were: ensuring the balanced and needs-based distribution of U.S. humanitarian aid to all areas of Syria, including those like Aleppo with large Armenian and other Christian populations; preventing humanitarian blockades of civilian populations, such as those creating crises in Aleppo; providing additional assistance to the Armenian government and NGO's supporting and helping to settle Syrians who have fled to Armenia, and assisting the Armenian Church and charitable groups in Lebanon as they support the very considerable humanitarian needs of refugees from Syria.

The Armenian American community, along with Armenian communities around the world, has undertaken far-reaching and life-saving humanitarian efforts, through the Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, and Evangelical churches, Syrian Armenian Relief Fund, Armenian Relief Society, Armenian General Benevolent Union and other avenues. ANCA has undertaken a grassroots effort to educate Congressional legislators about the plight of Armenians and other affected minorities in Syria and urged Congress to provide relief and resettlement support for at-risk Armenians and other Christian populations in Syria and throughout the Middle East as part of the FY 2014 foreign aid bill.

Citizens and civil society groups in the Republic of Armenia have organized the “Help your Brother” civic initiatives, airlifting relief supplies to Armenians and other Syrian populations caught in the conflict. The Armenian government has also undertaken a broad array of actions to support and integrate refugees from Syria.