On June 22, the Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS) and the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) signed a memorandum of understanding on the joint implementation of the healthcare component of the Syrian Armenian Relief program.
The program aims to provide humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable Syrian Armenians, particularly financial support to families that need urgent, expensive medical services.
Within the scope of the Memorandum, the ARCS will provide 25,000 USD in support to organize these healthcare services, while AGBU will arrange for beneficiaries to receive primary medical care and a follow-up healthcare needs assessment at the AGBU Claudia Nazarian Medical Center.
“The Armenian Red Cross Society responded to the humanitarian needs of Syrian Armenians from the very first day of their arrival here in 2012. This support has been multifaceted, from legal counseling and the provision of humanitarian aid to creating opportunities for them to establish and develop their own businesses. I’m happy that this program has allowed us to support Syrian Armenians in receiving healthcare services as well, because there is a great need for this,” said ARCS Secretary General Anna Yeghiazaryan.
The Syrian Armenian Relief program, which was launched on November 1, 2019, will continue until October 31, 2020. Its objective is to improve the wellbeing of Syrian refugees in Armenia, providing the most vulnerable families with humanitarian aid and making education accessible to them.
“From the very first day of the Syrian crisis, AGBU has provided support to Syrian Armenians in the form of broad humanitarian, social, educational, and healthcare programs in Syria, other countries, as well as Armenia. Hundreds of Syrian-Armenian young people that are enrolled in universities in Armenia have benefitted from our tuition reimbursement program. Vulnerable Syrian-Armenian families have been offered a range of social and healthcare support. Thousands of Syrian Armenians have received medical services at the AGBU Claudia Nazarian medical center and, in case of urgent surgical procedures or serious conditions, the costs of their treatment have been partially reimbursed. During the process of implementing this program, we have prioritized the expansion of partnerships with international organizations and structures in cases where our experience allows the effective fulfilment of the needs of those people that are in crisis situations. From this point of view, we consider this partnership with ARCS a very important one,” said President of AGBU Armenia Vasken Yacoubian.
Within the scope of this program,
- 60 highly vulnerable families will receive food packages four times a year,
- 170 highly vulnerable families will receive vouchers to buy clothes two times a year,
- 30 highly vulnerable families with members that require urgent healthcare services will receive the necessary financial support for this treatment,
- 40 students from highly vulnerable families will receive partial reimbursement of tuition fees.
The total amount of support allocated through this program is 100,000 dollars.
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The Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS) is a full member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, guided by the Fundamental Principles of the Movement: Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary service, Unity, and Universality.
As an auxiliary organization to the public authorities in the humanitarian field, the ARCS has been operating throughout the country for the past 100 years in the following strategic areas: Disaster Management, Population Movement, Social Support and Health Care, First Aid, Tracing, Youth, Dissemination of Humanitarian Values, etc.
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The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world’s largest non-profit organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a difference in the lives of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenian diaspora. Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more about AGBU’s global activities visit www.agbu.org. To learn more about activities in Armenia visit www.agbu.am.