Donors/Partners: Individual Donors from Around the World, St. Kevork Armenian Church of Houston, Texas
Implementing Organization: Aleppo-NGO
Project Duration: December 2020-present
Major Goal: To sponsor displaced families from Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), providing them with monthly financial assistance.
Description: As a result of the Azerbaijani and Turkish aggression against the people of the Republic of Artsakh, more than 90,000 people were displaced from their homes between September 27 and November 9, 2020. Despite the end of the conflict on November 9-10, 2020 and the return of 35,000 Armenians back to Stepanakert and other regions, more than 50,000 Armenians remain homeless due to the destruction of personal property and loss or transfer of lands to Azerbaijan, namely the territories of Shushi, Hadrut, Kalbacar, Qashatagh (Lachin), and parts of Martuni and Martakert.
This program is designed to support displaced Artsakh families who are currently residing in the Republic of Armenia by connecting them to sponsors (donors) who are willing to support each family financially for a sustainable period of time (at least 6 months).
Since October 30, 2020, more than 800 families (3,000 people), primarily from Shushi, Hadrut, Kalbacar, Talish, and other territories transferred to Azerbaijan, have registered at Aleppo-NGO seeking financial and humanitarian assistance. Through the “Adopt a Family” project Aleppo-NGO conducts needs assessments for all newly registered families before acquiring their permission to share their stories with prospective sponsors.
Sponsorship amounts vary depending on the housing situation, size of each family, number of family members who are able to seek employment in Armenia’s difficult job market which has been impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, number of children and elderly in the family, and the amount of assistance received through the RA Government and other humanitarian organization.
The goal of the project is to support families for six to twelve months before they are able to integrate into Armenia’s society and/or the government is able to provide a more permanent solution to their displacement.
Partial-Sponsorship Amounts: $150-250 per month for at least 6 months.
Full-Sponsorshoip Amounts: $400-600 per month for at least 6 months.
Family Profiles: For the protection of the personal information of beneficiaries, Aleppo-NGO is able to provide the profiles upon requests from prospective sponsors (donors).To request profiles of beneficiaries participating in the program, please contact us at sarkisb@aleppo-ngo.org.
After Adoption: Once a donor selects the family of their choice and decides to sponsor them, the donor is provided contact details of the family to establish a connection with them via social media, telephone, and other communication platforms such as Whatsapp, Viber, etc.
Sample Family Profile:
Anush K.’s Family (8 people)—From Martuni (Partly Occupied by Azerbaijan)
Anush’s family consists of 8 members, currently they reside in Yerevan. Anush’s home in Martuni was heavily damaged by the systematic shelling of civilians and civilian targets from the Azerbaijani forces. Following the ceasefire agreement their home fell into territory now in Azerbaijan.
Anush’s husband participated in the war. After being wounded on September 27th during the battles for Askeran, he returned to the battlefields of Hadrut. Anush last spoke to her husband on September 30, 2020. As of December 6, 2020, the Artsakh government has deemed him to be a “Missing Person,” however, he is presumed dead.
Anush initially fled Artsakh to Armenia in October, then returned back to Artsakh before finally deciding to move to Yerevan on November 10, 2020, when the ceasefire declaration was signed. At that point it was not clear whether their home in Martuni was still in Artsakh’s territory. In addition to Anush and her children, Anush’s sister Arevik has two children, 7 years old and 12 years old. Arevik’s husband was killed during the 4-Day War in 2016.
In Yerevan, Anush lives with her three children, mother, her sister Arevik and her sister’s two children in a rental apartment currently costing them 80,000 AMD in rent per month. Her family is in need of rental subsidy support, food, diapers, blankets, clothes.
Recommended Full Sponsorship Amount: $350-450/month
Family Members:
Aleks K. (5 years old)
Anna K. (9 years old)
Vera K. (1 years old)
Anush K. (29 years old)
Alvart K. (54 years old)-Anush’s Mother
Arevik K. (32 years old)—Anush’s Sister
Monica U. (12 years old)—Arevik’s daughter
Maki U. (7 years old)-Arevik’s daughter
Anush’s Family was fully sponsored by Mr. Edward and Mrs. Carmen Gulbenkian on December 11, 2020. They will be receiving their first monthly financial aid at the end of December 2020.
