Biden's Supplemental Request From Congress Includes Humanitarian Assistance For Nagorno-Karabakh

The Biden administration is requesting additional resources from Congress as part of a national security package it says will also provide humanitarian assistance for conflicts such as Nagorno-Karabakh, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

Jake Sullivan, President Biden's national security adviser, said Wednesday in a rare appearance during a press conference from the White House that the bipartisan legislation will not only provide Israel what it needs to defend itself against terrorist threats, but will also cover life-saving humanitarian assistance for vulnerable people who have been impacted by conflicts around the world.

"... That includes millions of Ukrainians who have been displaced by Russia's brutal invasion.  It includes conflicts in Sudan and Nagorno-Karabakh," he said.

"And this support also includes dealing with the urgent needs of the more than 2 million innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza, the vast majority of whom have nothing to do with Hamas," Sullivan added.

"In his calls and conversations with regional leaders, the President has worked through these challenges of humanitarian assistance at a concrete and granular level in order to help overcome obstacles and facilitate a sustained, increased flow of humanitarian assistance," Sullivan emphasized.

While the White House didn't specify what portion of the supplemental request — and under what program — is expected to be spent on Nagorno-Karabakh, the State Department clarified that it's about humanitarian assistance.

"I didn’t see all of the National Security Advisor’s remarks. I suspect that’s what he was referring to," Spokesperson Matthew Miller told TURAN's Washington correspondent during a daily briefing.

He elaborated: "There was humanitarian assistance contained in the supplemental request that we put forward and in the bill that was passed the Senate that would – could be used by the United States for humanitarian response to conflicts all around the world."

The Senate-passed supplemental agreement, which includes support for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, is facing an uphill battle in the House of Representatives as Republican Speaker Mike Johnson indicated again on Wednesday he has no immediate plans to allow the chamber to vote on it.

The Republicans insist that any package of international military and humanitarian assistance must also include measures to address security at the U.S. border with Mexico.