Lilit Sedrakyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Los Angeles
The Los Angeles branch of the Syrian Armenian Relief Fund (SARF) continues organizing events to help the compatriots in crisis. This time the Fund has decided to inform the society about the situation in Syria and the condition of the Armenian community to promote fund-raising. They intend to initiate information campaigns, as the wave of donations fades, when the issue is not considered for a long while.
Raising awareness is the best tool to ensure aid to Syrian Armenians. The better people are informed, the more substantial assistance they will provide. And this is the path the Syrian Armenian Relief Fund will follow in the near future. For this purpose a meeting with Syrian Armenians, who have just left the conflict zone, was organized in Los Angeles.
They briefed the American Armenians on the current situation in Syria, the needs of the Armenian community. Political analysis and predictions regarding the conflict were also provided.
More than two third of an estimated 100 thousand Syrian Armenians have left the country during the three years of the war. About 10-12 thousand Syrian Armenians have found refuge in Lebanon and Armenia, others have moved to Europe, Canada and the United States. Today they need material and moral support.
The Syrian Armenians said the community does not retreat in the face of difficulties: the national structures continue to function, to organize cultural events. They said vulnerable families receive monthly allowances, the ill get free medicine, and no one loses hope that the nightmare will be over soon.
The Los Angeles branch of SARF has sent about $700 thousand to Syria up until now. The funds have been allocated to satisfy the vital needs of the Armenian community. The fund raising will continue as long as Syrian Armenians need material and moral support.
