A large-scale humanitarian effort has been launched in Armenia to support tens of thousands of people forcibly displaced from Artsakh following the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive.
Spearheaded by the Russian Humanitarian Mission and the Eurasia NGO under the patronage of Rossotrudnichestvo, the initiative aims to provide essential aid to around 30,000 displaced individuals. The first phase of the campaign, titled “Russia is with you”, began on July 31 and will run through August, delivering more than 140 tons of assistance across several Armenian cities. The initiative was announced during a press conference held at the Sputnik Armenia multimedia press center.
Arseny Pronin, a representative of the Russian Humanitarian Mission in Armenia, said the aid distribution began in the Masis community and will expand to Abovyan, Gyumri, and Kapan in the coming weeks.
“In addition to standard food and hygiene packages, we have prepared special kits for families with small children — including baby food, cereals, purées, sweets, and essential care items,” said Pronin. He noted that the aid targets vulnerable groups, such as families who lost one or both breadwinners, persons with disabilities, large families, and elderly individuals living alone.
They will receive packages containing food and essential hygiene items, including cereals, pasta, sugar, flour, canned goods, sweets, butter, tea, coffee, household cleaning products, soap, toothpaste, and toothbrushes.
Separate packages have been prepared for families with small children, containing baby food, porridge, purees, sweets, as well as hygiene items and diapers.
Alena Arshinova, Chair of the Eurasia NGO Council and a member of the Russian State Duma, emphasized that initiatives like this go beyond formal diplomacy. “Such efforts have a deeper emotional and practical impact than official ceremonies — they embody real solidarity between nations,” she stated during the launch event.
A native of Transnistria, Arshinova shared a personal perspective during the press conference: “I know firsthand what it feels like to be powerless in such situations. That’s why we focus on humanitarian work that builds trust and brings relief to those in crisis.”
The aid initiative comes nearly a year after Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military offensive on September 19, 2023, targeting the entire territory of Artsakh. A day later, the region’s authorities accepted a ceasefire proposal by Russian peacekeepers, agreeing to disarm and dissolve the de facto republic. By September 24, the mass exodus of over 100,000 Armenians into Armenia had begun.
