Humanitarian aid to Armenia has been continuously growing in large part due to the United States Agency for Intentional Development (USAID). Since 1992, USAID has been a crucial humanitarian aid donor to Armenia and its overall development as a country. Last year marked 25 years of diplomatic relations between USAID and Armenia.

USAID’s Commitment to Provide Humanitarian Aid to Armenia

USAID plays a significant role in helping Armenia overcome the challenges it faces as a developing country. USAID has provided “over $1 billion to improve the lives of the Armenian people, supporting their efforts to strengthen democratic, economic, and social governance.”

A few ways USAID has been vital with humanitarian aid to Armenia is by:

1. Improving access to quality healthcare for Armenian citizens by extending free primary healthcare and maternity services.
2. Establishing the “114” hotline that provides social service resources assistance to Armenians.
3. Equipping and renovating two-thirds of Armenia’s neediest rural health facilities.
4. Creating the American University of Armenia that trains Armenia’s future leaders, encourages civic engagement and promotes democratic values.
5. Modernizing the Armenian American Wellness Center to become a state-of-the-art diagnostic facility now providing a host of health services to men and women.

USAID has implemented several humanitarian aid programs that help economic growth in Armenia. The Advanced Science and Partnerships for Integrated Resource Development program supports sustainable water resource management. Furthermore, the Partnership for Rural Prosperity promotes rural economic development in Armenia. Lastly, the Advanced Rural Development Initiative develops competitive rural value chains to increase incomes and improve livelihoods. It has been implemented in 48 rural communities in Syunik, Shirak and Lori marzes of Armenia.

USAID also provides humanitarian aid to Armenia in the form of developmental programs that assist in helping Armenian people acquire healthcare and skillsets for work. One such program provides Armenian tech students with training and research opportunities to prepare them for engineering projects.

Another program is the USAID-supported Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Childhood Blindness in Armenia. This initiative helps prevent lifelong blindness in premature babies and Armenian children.

The World Food Programme in Armenia

Another worthy mention is the World Food Programme (WFP), which is the biggest humanitarian organization in the world. It provides hot meals to 60,000 Armenian children in 587 schools in six of Armenia’s ten provinces for 180 days out of the school year.

New heating systems have also been implemented in Armenia’s rural communities to utilize solar energy and meet present-day demands of energy efficiency and environmental protection.

With the continuous help of organizations such as USAID and WFP, Armenia can continue on its path to becoming a developed country.

– Kennisha L. Crawford

Photo: Flickr