US Ambassador to Azerbaijan: “We provided more than $125 million in assistance to IDPs in Azerbaijan”
US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lee Litzenberger made a statement on the occasion of World Refugee Day.
“For the first time in history, the number of people forced to flee conflict, violence, human rights abuses, and persecution has recently exceeded 100 million,” the document said. "This number is more than 1% of the world's population. This year alone, the war in Ukraine has displaced eight million people and forced more than 6.8 million to flee the country as refugees,” the statement added.
The ambassador believes that many people in Azerbaijan are well aware of people's suffering in the conflict and the difficulties faced by the IDP community.
"The United States is the only country in the world that provides the most humanitarian assistance to people in need, including refugees, victims of conflict, IDPs, stateless persons, and vulnerable migrants. In addition, the United States has been a world leader since 1975, receiving more than 3.5 million refugees in domestic communities,“ Litzenberger flagged. He said that the United States invests in and supports the IDP community in Azerbaijan. "For over a decade, we have invested in the IDP community through English language programs and USAID development activities. As the resettlement continues, we will continue to support this community, and this work is even more important,” the ambassador stated.
Litzenberger also underlined that the United States has provided more than $125 million in assistance to IDPs in Azerbaijan since 1992 and remains committed to supporting this community. This targeted assistance for children includes building and renovating schools, youth development programs, and English language programs for IDP communities.
“In addition, the United States is providing humanitarian demining assistance to Azerbaijan to strengthen Azerbaijan's human security and assist IDP communities in their efforts to return home and rebuild their lives safely,” he said.