Ten local civil society organizations have appealed to the Georgian government to provide assistance to neighboring Armenia that has been hit hard by the pandemic.
In the statement released on June 5, the group urged the authorities to demonstrate solidarity and a spirit of cooperation towards Armenia, which – in turn – would lay the ground for joint measures to contain the regional spread of the virus.
Signatories include the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center, Georgian Democracy Iniatitve, Open Society Foundation Georgia, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Human Rights Center, Tolerance and Diversity Center, Women’s Iniatives Supporting Group, Equality Movement, Union “Sapari”, and “Salam” – a civic activism platform of ethnic Azeri Georgians.
Based on Georgia’s “successful handling” of the first wave of the virus spread, CSOs suggested Georgian healthcare system could offer “tangible assistance” to Armenia in order to avoid large-scale outbreak in the region.
The signatories maintained that international solidarity and cooperation was a “necessary precondition” for mitigating the fallout of the pandemic and preventing high mortality rate.
Georgian CSOs expressed readiness to provide assistance to their Armenian counterparts – within their capabilities and resources.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on June 4 reiterating Georgia’s readiness to support Armenia and help it weather the crisis.
To date, Armenia has recorded up to 12,000 cases of infection, with the death toll exceeding 170.
Armenia’s healthcare capacity has been overwhelmed by the recent upsurge in new cases. As stated by Armenian Health Minister, 154 out of 186 intensive care units (ICU) in the country are already occupied by seriously ill patients.