Yerevan, Armenia - On April 15, with the close cooperation of the Republic of Armenia Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, the United Nations World Food Program in Armenia (UNWFP), organized by the RA Commandant’s Office, with the support of the Chinese Government, a plane loaded with a large amount of COVID-19 treatment and prevention supplies arrived in Armenia from China.

As a result of the fundraising effort initiated by the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, more than half a million dollars was raised with generous contributions from the Diaspora, namely Argentinean-Armenian philanthropist and businessman Eduardo Eurnekian’s Companies (Armenian International Airports, Converse Bank and Karas Wines), the Izmirlian Foundation, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Saint Sarkis Charity Trust, and the Armenian General Benevolent Union. Donations were also made by the UN World Food Program, the My Step Foundation, Chinese benefactors and other donors. 

The shipment included more than 87,000 medical gowns, 20,000 KN95 masks, 24,000 medical masks, 101 non-contact thermometers, biochemical raw materials for coronavirus diagnostic tests, and other medical instruments, which will be handed over to the RA Ministry of Health and distributed to medical facilities as needed.

Speaking about the initiative, High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan first thanked all the donors for their contributions noting that the Diaspora has always stood by the homeland and that the Armenia-Diaspora partnership is based on mutual trust and cooperation. "I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to all our compatriots who, being in the same difficult situation, continue to stand by their homeland. The financial and professional support provided by the Diaspora has been crucial to the Armenian Government’s effort to fight this global threat. This initiative stands as a bright example of an  Armenia-Diaspora partnership. Every contribution from our compatriots will be utilized purposefully and effectively to address this crisis and serve pan-Armenian interests," stated Zareh Sinanyan.

Emphasizing the importance of such an initiative in the fight against the Coronavirus, the Republic of Armenia Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan thanked the donors from the Diaspora who have contributed to preventing the spread of the pandemic and expressed confidence that this crisis will be overcome through a collective effort. "These days, we are fighting against the pandemic with unrestrained force, and such initiatives give us both the physical and psychological strength to overcome this challenge with minimal losses. This support once again proves the strength of the Armenia-Diaspora partnership and our willingness to cooperate and address these threats together, ” stated Arsen Torosyan. 

For video footage about the initiative follow the link:

https://www.facebook.com/DiasporaHighCommissionerOfficeArmenia/videos/236294357718695/?t=30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqbFW43dk2s