Declaration on the Plight of the Armenian Communities in the Syrian Arab Republic and the Republic of Iraq

The State Commission on Coordination of the Events for the Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide expresses its gratitude to the peoples of the Middle East who one century ago gave shelter to the Armenian genocide survivors that became actively involved in the statehood-building of those countries.

Today when the life of the region’s peoples, as well as the very existence of ethnic and religious groups is put at risk, we consider it our moral obligation to stand beside them.

During these days, the whole world has fixed its attention on the tragic situation in the Middle East, particularly in Syria and Iraq, and on the fate of the refugees who have escaped from terrorism and the civil war.

Armenia has opened its doors to Armenians from Syria and Iraq and has already accepted more than 16.000 refugees. All the public institutions of Armenia are involved in the works aimed at addressing their issues and facilitating their integration into the society.

Armenian diaspora organizations, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund have initiated and implemented numerous programs aimed at mitigating the state of Armenians in Syria and Iraq.

The State Commission on Coordination of the Events for the Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,

-being deeply concerned about the events in the Middle East,
-being interested in the urgent establishment of peace and stability in that region,
-strongly condemning the crimes being committed by terrorist groups; crimes which result in multiple human losses, destruction of sanctuaries, monuments and cultural values,
-regarding such acts of vandalism as crimes against humanity and civilization,
-understanding that the protection of the region’s peoples requires concerted efforts and comprehensive support, including provision of humanitarian aid to both the refugees and the communities left in danger,

CALLS UPON:

• intergovernmental and international humanitarian organizations, the states implementing programs aimed at addressing refugees’ issues to render full and urgent assistance to the Syrian people caught in a disastrous situation, and take measures to help the states, including the Republic of Armenia, which have taken active steps to accept refugees;
• Armenia’s all public institutions, social and private organizations to continue to take comprehensive steps to facilitate the process of dealing with Syrian-Armenians’ issues in the motherland;
• all community organizations, individuals to do everything to support and render full assistance both to the community still living in Syria and to the Syrian-Armenians who have settled in Armenia.

The alarming state of Syrian-Armenians is a challenge facing the entire Armenian nation today, and to tackle it there is an urgent need to combine Armenia’s and the diaspora’s forces and resources to coordinate all actions and jointly address the issues of our compatriots.

We reaffirm that the Republic of Armenia and the diaspora will continue to support every Armenian caught in an emergency situation and in need for help, as their most sacred duty and responsibility.