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Spring 1998 (6.1) Reader's Forum The letter from Gwendolyn Burchell, "Nakhchivan Blockade," and your Editor's note (AI Winter 1997) highlighted the desperate situation in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. Your readers may be interested to know that the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has been active in Nakhchivan since September 1993, bringing humanitarian assistance to the people in this region which is blockaded by Armenia. We make monthly food distributions to vulnerable groups throughout the region in winter. More recently, we have supplemented these with agriculture projects so that people can begin to grow their own food. We have helped create 35 small agricultural enterprises which provide employment for up to 200 people. Our health and immunization program serves not only the city but brings health education, primary health care and life-saving vaccinations to even the remotest mountain villages. ADRA programs in Nakhchivan to date have a cumulative value of over $13.5 million, funded mostly by the U.S. More funding is being sought for credit, training and health initiatives for the next few years. Notwithstanding the immense logistical difficulties of operating in an isolated and blockaded region, ADRA is committed to maintaining a presence in Nakhchivan and bringing relief to the human suffering there. Ian Ridley From Azerbaijan International (6.1) Spring 1998. |
