GLENDALE – At its August 29th meeting, the Glendale City Council voted and approved sending aid to Martuni City in Artsakh, a city that is experiencing a humanitarian crisis. This action follows an August 10th request made by the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic in the USA seeking the City’s assistance to help Glendale’s Sister City, Martuni.
Many are aware that since December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan has been illegally blocking the Lachin corridor: the only road that connects the Republic of Artsakh with the outside world. The ongoing blockade displaces 120,000 Armenian civilians, including 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly, and 9,000 persons with disabilities living in Nagorno Karabakh. The Azerbaijan blockade has created an urgent humanitarian emergency, leaving the people of Artsakh without access to basic necessities such as food, water, and medical supplies and services.
The approval of the Glendale Aid for Artsakh Initiative kickstarts the fundraising effort intended to collect funds from the Glendale community to send directly to Artsakh. The City will be working on coordinating this effort with other interested community groups.
“As the main hub of the Armenian diaspora in the United States, Glendale has deep ties to Armenia and Artsakh. With this vote, we declare our commitment to the people of Artsakh and our determination to prevent another ethnic cleansing of the Armenian people from their ancestral lands.” said Mayor Brotman.
