The $9.856 million worth donations, raised at Hayastan All Armenian Fund’s 22nd Annual Telethon, mark a dramatic record low since 2006 – when only $10 million were collected.
For the first time since 1997, the funds stopped of reaching the $10 million threshold.
The donations in the first fundraising event after the 2018 political transitions topped this year’s records by $1.3 million, amounting to a total of $11,109,000
In a Facebook live ahead of the 2019 telethon, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a call upon the Armenians in the Diaspora to make their active contribution to the nationwide effort, giving at the same time his personal guarantees that ‟the money raised will serve its purpose‟.
Despite his appeal though, the total donations were below the amount of $12.5 million raised in 2017 (the year preceding the government change).