The donation will assist over 100,000 forcibly displaced people from Artsakh now living in Armenia
October 24, 2023 – Boston, MA – Noubar Afeyan, Co-Founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, and Anna Afeyan, Co-Chair of the Afeyan Foundation, announce a commitment of $2 million to serve over 100,000 displaced people from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) who were uprooted from their homes following the deadly attacks by Azerbaijan in September. The donation will be provided by the Afeyan Foundation, which previously teamed up with Aurora to help the people of Artsakh in the aftermath of the 2020 war. The latest financial support will focus on several areas including meeting basic needs, providing medical and psychosocial care, and establishing longer-term educational opportunities.
“The people of Artsakh were terrorized for months, attacked in their homes, and then forcibly expelled overnight,” said the Afeyan Foundation in a statement. “Each of the refugees deserves dignified resettlement in Armenia. With winter approaching, the time to act is now. We thank those who have already taken action and implore the global community to come together to provide the support needed to address this humanitarian crisis.”
In September 2020, after a large-scale armed attack was unleashed against Artsakh, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative launched the Aurora for Artsakh program to help local people facing a grave humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of the war. The displaced persons were given food, shelter, and clothes, as well as kits with essentials and vital medication. Over the course of the program, Aurora allocated $2.2 million to support 93 humanitarian aid projects implemented by 70 local and international partners. The program concluded in June 2023.
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Photo: Displaced Artsakh children in Goris, Armenia. September 27, 2023 © Narek Aleksanyan
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About the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative
The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is a foundation that seeks to address on-the-ground humanitarian challenges around the world with the focus on helping the most destitute. Its mission is rooted in the Armenian history as the Initiative was founded on behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors and strives to transform this experience into a global movement.
All Aurora’s activities are based on the universal concept of Gratitude in Action. It implies that countless people around the world who have received aid in time of crisis can best express their gratitude by offering similar assistance to someone else. By involving Aurora supporters around the world, this will become a global endeavor that will snowball to expand the circle of saviors and most importantly – the number of those saved.
Addressing urgent humanitarian challenges, the Initiative provides a second chance to those who need it the most. True to its vision – “We believe that even in the darkest times, a brighter future is in the hands of those who are committed to giving others help and hope” – Aurora welcomes all who embrace this philosophy.
This commitment aims to promote action-based philanthropy focused on tangible results. This is achieved through the Initiative’s various programs: Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, Aurora Dialogues, Aurora Grants, Aurora Community, Aurora for Artsakh, #AraratChallenge movemen, Aurora Index, and the 100 LIVES Initiative.
The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is the vision of philanthropists Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan who have been joined by thousands of supporters and partners. Vartan Gregorian sadly passed away in 2021. Aurora’s Chair, Dr. Tom Catena, draws on his experience as a surgeon, veteran, humanitarian, and the 2017 Aurora Prize laureate to spread the message of Gratitude in Action to a global audience.
The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is represented by three organizations – the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Foundation, Inc. (USA), the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Foundation (Switzerland) and the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Charitable Foundation (Armenia).
