YEREVAN — The Afeyan Foundation, an organization building and advancing solutions for a better world, announced on September 24 that it has completed the allocation of its previously announced $2 million USD commitment to help the more than 100,000 people displaced from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) last year. This financial support follows previous efforts by the Afeyan family to help the people of Artsakh after the forced displacement of the Artsakh population.
“The people of Artsakh have been subject to cruel and unimaginable circumstances for years, and after being forcibly expelled from their homes after undergoing ethnic cleansing are now facing the realities of starting over in an unfamiliar place,” said Noubar and Anna Afeyan, trustees of the Afeyan Foundation. “It will take a large network of public and private support to ensure the people of Artsakh receive the resources and help needed to go from surviving to reviving and ultimately to thriving.”
The Afeyans continued, “We are inspired by the broad group of organizations and individuals working around-the-clock to provide support to the people of Artsakh and are humbled to play a role in ensuring this transition is positive for everyone impacted, including for Armenia as a whole.”
The Afeyan Foundation recently established a grant to UNICEF USA for UNICEF’s work in Armenia centered on the most vulnerable children and adolescents. The program will run for 18 months and focuses on improving access to mental health and psychosocial services, along with social inclusion opportunities, especially in areas where such services are limited. The aim of the program is to empower adolescents and their caregivers with the support systems and networks needed to cope with trauma and stress, reduce stigma, and promote mental wellbeing and social cohesion within their host communities.
In addition, the Afeyan Foundation has committed funding to the following Armenian organizations and programs to support several areas including meeting basic needs, providing medical and psychosocial care, and establishing longer-term educational opportunities.
AIWA – Supporting the EmpowerPath Program to provide skill training, employment opportunities, and entrepreneurship support to Artsakhi women.
