Armenians are rejoicing after receiving 700 tonnes of humanitarian aid from nations around the world as their people come under sustained attack from Azerbaijani forces. The 700 tonnes include 20 tonnes direct from Los Angeles, home to a large number of ex-patriot Armenians. However, reports have also indicated that Turkey has banned another 100 tonnes of humanitarian aid from the United States passing through its airspace.
The Armenian High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan said during a press conference:
"During these days nearly 700 tons of humanitarian aid have been delivered to Armenia from different counties – Russia, the USA, France, Ukraine, European countries, Javakhk, Tbilisi and this assistance is ongoing. There is another 100 tons of humanitarian aid, ready to be delivered from the USA, but Turkey has banned delivery of even humanitarian aid through its airspace, as a result of which that flight is being delayed."
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Turkey is overtly supporting the Azerbaijani government in its attack on Artsakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave within Azerbaijani territory. This Turkish support has included the delivery of the Hamza Brigade, an extremist Islamic fundamentalist jihadi group that has fought on the payroll of Turkey in both the Syrian and Libyan civil wars. A move condemned by Russia and the United States.
The 20 tonnes from Los Angeles that landed in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, was organised by the 'Code 3 Angels', a non-profit group. The cargo included a huge haul of medical equipment, x-ray machines, sleeping bags and tents and tools for producing electricity.
Joe Krikorian the founder of 'Code 3 Angels' told reporters:
"It's been amazing, it's been overwhelming and just all of us coming together just to help. It's about humanity, it's a human issue and we're just trying to be there for them as a community. Definitely more will be going. The warehouse keeps on filling up with aid from the community, from the donations and everything else. From one box in one day we had about 300 boxes of medical aid from basic first aid kits, to vitamins, to trauma kits. And with the monetary donations I would order tourniquets and Quikclots, and major trauma kits for the community there to start a Stop the Bleed campaign."
Asked what motivated him to establish the campaign, he stated:
"I decided that we are training all these doctors but the community doesn't know what to do, so I started Code 3 Angels. I came back and said we have to start training the community and ever since then we've been going to Armenia and Artsakh a lot."
The Armenian Relief Fund has so far raised over $120 million in relation to the ongoing conflict in Artsakh and was helped greatly when the Kardashian family, who are of Armenian origin, got involved. Kim Kardashian donated $1 million and both she and her sister publicised the relief fund and the plight of Armenians on their vast social network channels.
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