By Emilio Luciano Cricchio
The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative has revamped and outlined its new Artsakh aid program, which will focus on Nagorno-Karabakh’s long-term social needs.
Aurora has also doubled the amount of funding that will be directed to its Artsakh relief fund.
In a written statement, Aurora pledged to assist projects that will support the business community in Karabakh, as well as restore infrastructure, aid vulnerable families and boost the local economy.
Aurora has already allocated around $580,000 to support 57 projects related to Artsakh. The statement also listed the various causes Aurora is in the midst of supporting, which include repairing various schools, hospitals and houses, restoring roads, providing basic and home items to displaced families, purchasing ambulances and medical supplies, along with many other initiatives.
The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is an Armenian aid organization founded by Noubar Afeyan (chairman of the US pharmaceutical giant Moderna), Russian-Armenian businessman Ruben Vardanyan, and Carnegie Corporation President Vartan Gregorian. They recently donated around $1 million to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, on behalf of the Aurora Initiative.
The statement furthermore states that Aurora will engage and utilize Armenian diasporan experts and individuals to optimize its projects, and on top of this will bring together the initiative’s partners and many diaspora experts for a conference some time in April, in order to develop projects, plan ahead and connect all the various stakeholders.
The full list of the 57 projects Aurora has embarked on in Artsakh is available here.