USAID supports 3,500 families affected by pandemic in Azerbaijan to receive humanitarian aid

Baku / 05.09.20 / Turan: With the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), volunteers of the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society deliver 7,000 boxes of food and hygiene products to families experiencing difficulties during the pandemic. 3,500 families in eight regions of the country will receive assistance. This is the second batch of assistance to families in need with financial support from USAID - the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in response to the challenges of COVID-19.

On September 2, US Ambassador Lee Litzenberger met with Vice President of the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society Gafar Askarzade and Secretary General Jeyhun Mirzoyev at a warehouse where workers and volunteers were packing and loading boxes with humanitarian aid. “The United States continues to support the people of Azerbaijan in their quest to solve the problems associated with the global COVID-19 pandemic. We are proud to support the efforts of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society through USAID, ”Ambassador Litzenberger said.

With the support of USAID, the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society trained more than 800 volunteers to respond to the pandemic and provided about 200,000 people with the necessary information on protection from Covid-19. They were also able to provide psychological support to those affected by the pandemic.  

“The Red Crescent Society of Azerbaijan provides support to the most vulnerable groups of the population - the elderly, the chronically ill or disabled, those who cannot leave their homes, providing them with food, hygiene products and daily help. With USAID support, Red Crescent teams will continue to provide the necessary assistance to those in need, ”said Olga Dzhumaeva, head of the South Caucasus office of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.  

In total, the United States provided more than $ 4.6 million to Azerbaijan to mitigate the health and economic impact of the pandemic. Globally, the United States provided $ 20.5 billion in aid to fight the pandemic. — 06d-