Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and Congressman Jim Costa for joining Congressional Armenian Caucus leaders in calling for $50 million US aid to Artsakh as part of the FY2022 Foreign AId Bill.
In letters to Senate and House Appropriations leaders, Rep. Costa and Eshoo explained:
“As you know, Azerbaijan and Turkey launched an unprovoked military offensive against Artsakh and Armenia in September 2020, and the humanitarian fallout from the war has been devastating. Thousands of lives were lost, at least 90,000 ethnic Armenians were forced to flee Artsakh, and more than 14,000 civilian structures in Artsakh were damaged or destroyed in the fighting.
Today, countless displaced families are unable to return to their homes, and those that have returned are contending with unexploded ordnances, power outages, water insecurity, and a greatly diminished healthcare system.
Despite the significant human toll of the war, the United States has provided less than $5 million in humanitarian assistance for Artsakh since the fighting ended, less than one-third of what the European Union provided.
We’re deeply grateful that the committee report accompanying the House-passed FY22 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill includes $50 million in aid to Armenia and $2 million in demining assistance for Artsakh. However, additional funding is necessary to meaningfully address this humanitarian crisis.”