On May 7, the Interdepartmental Commission Coordinating Syrian-Armenians’ Issues held a subsequent session moderated by RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan.

President of the Council of Armenian Evangelical Churches of Syria, the Very Rev. Harutyun Selimyan presented the situation that has been deteriorating in Syria recently and mentioned that the lives of Aleppo-Armenians are at risk due to the operations of the rebels that attacked the Armenian-populated districts of Aleppo from the north and northeastern regions of Syria. People lack the minimum conditions to work, and the people are emigrating. Despite all this, all schools and churches remain active. Today, Kessab has been completely emptied of the Armenians. Peace must be established and Kessab must be rebuilt through dialogue. Harutyun Selimyan praised the efforts of the RA Ministry of Diaspora aimed at supporting the solution to the Syrian-Armenians’ issues and expressed gratitude for those efforts. The emergency units in Syria are carrying out activities to support the Syrian-Armenians in dire needs.

Minister Hranush Hakobyan mentioned that the Head of the Armenia Office of the International Committee of the Red Cross has been provided with a list of names of 22 Armenians who are in the Turkish village of Vakef and who need to move to Latakia to be with their relatives. The minister mentioned that if it’s possible to organize the move of Syrian-Armenian children to Armenia, the Ministry of Diaspora will be ready to engage them in the ministry’s programs and organize their summer vacation at camps in Armenia.

Head of the Department of Social Security at Yerevan Municipality Ruzanna Zakaryan talked about this year’s program for social support to Syrian-Armenian families residing in Yerevan. Yerevan Municipality continues to support socially disadvantaged Syrian-Armenian families. The municipality has conducted an initial study on the Syrian-Armenian families and a needs assessment and has provided financial assistance to 79 Syrian-Armenian families. The municipality has provided food and domestic products, clothes and writing accessories to 283 Syrian-Armenians. There are Syrian-Armenian families that are engaged in the government’s social support programs. In 2014, 28 Syrian-Armenians with Armenian citizenship have been registered and have been granted the right to receive pension. The fact that reimbursement of rents is one of the primary issues was stressed. The data of 179 Syrian-Armenian families have been transferred to Mission Armenia for reimbursement of rents. Zakaryan also said the municipality organizes extracurricular courses on culture and military-patriotic courses and cognitive visits to help Syrian-Armenian children integrate at school. The schoolchildren are engaged in different kinds of cultural and educational events. Minister Hranush Hakobyan attached importance to the provision of social security benefits to Syrian-Armenian families on the grounds prescribed for citizens of the Republic of Armenia.

Executive Director of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Ara Vardanyan delivered a report on the Fund’s activities to support the Syrian-Armenians. Vardanyan mentioned that the Fund has provided AMD 80 million for Syrian-Armenians’ tuitions and to take care of their expenses for treatment and other expenses. In the next couple of days, the Fund will transfer USD 60,000 to the Embassy of Armenia in Syria to help the Armenians of Kessab. Most of the donations have been made by benefactors in Armenia.

Minister Hranush Hakobyan stated the amount of sums transferred to the Kessab-Armenian Relief Fund, which makes up AMD 12 million, USD 378 thousand, 10,000 rubles and 5,000 Euros.

Head of the Office of Armenian Caritas Charitable Organization Aram Khachatryan presented the Organization’s activities aimed at supporting the Syrian-Armenians. Armenian Caritas has paid the Syrian-Armenians’ rents and utility bills for the months of February, March and April and plans on reimbursing the rents for the next three months. Armenian Caritas has also reimbursed the rents for 100 families in the amount of AMD 50,000. Socially disadvantaged families, or families with no income or families with low income, as well as elderly, multi-member families and disabled persons are selected.

Director of the Armenian Representation of the Armenian Relief Society Narine Galstyan delivered a report on the Society’s completed activities and the upcoming programs. Galstyan mentioned that this year, the Armenian Relief Society has transferred USD 125,000 to Syria to take care of the Syrian-Armenians’ needs, of which 75,000 was provided to the fund for Armenian schools in order to help the schools continue their activities. Galstyan also said 182 Syrian-Armenian families have been provided with assistance through the “Warm Home” Program.

Summing up the session, Minister Hranush Hakobyan mentioned that the crisis in Syria is deepening and that Armenia needs to be ready to receive more Syrian-Armenians returning to the homeland. Assessing the situation at hand, the minister attached importance to the development of a strategy on organizing assistance to the Diaspora Armenians in a state of emergency.