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SYRIAN ARMENIANS ARE PREPARING TO USE BASEMENTS OF THEIR HOUSES AS SHELTERS IF THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER WESTERN POWERS ACT ON THEIR THREATS OF MILITARY ACTION
by Alexandr Avanesov
ARMINFO
Friday, August 30, 13:55
Thousands of ethnic Armenians remaining in Syria braced themselves
for a further escalation of the bloody conflict in their country
on Wednesday amid growing talk of U.S.-led military strikes against
President Bashar al-Assad's regime, Radio Azatutyun reports.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) by phone, several
Syrian Armenians trapped in Aleppo said they are already preparing
to use the basements of their homes as shelters if the United States
and other Western powers act on their threats of military action.
"The Armenian community is certainly worried," said Zarmig Boghikian,
an Aleppo woman working at a local Armenian magazine, "Gandzasar." "We
are neutral but concerned because those strikes will target the whole
country. Leaders of the Armenian community are telling people to be
cautious and don't leave their homes too often for the next few days."
"Many people are thinking about fleeing but that's impossible to do
in Aleppo now because the roads are closed," added Boghigian.
The Armenian government has so far avoided calling on Armenians in
Syria to leave the country, while pledging to help those of them who
want to settle in Armenia. Nikolay Grigorian, the deputy director of
the Armenian Rescue Service, said on Wednesday that the authorities
in Yerevan would consider organizing their evacuation only if they
receive a relevant request from the community leaders.
There were an estimated 80,000 ethnic Armenians in Syria before
the outbreak of the conflict there more than two years ago. About
10,000 of them have since taken refuge in Armenia, according to the
authorities in Yerevan. An even larger number of Syrian Armenians is
thought to have fled to neighboring Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
by Alexandr Avanesov
ARMINFO
Friday, August 30, 13:55
Thousands of ethnic Armenians remaining in Syria braced themselves
for a further escalation of the bloody conflict in their country
on Wednesday amid growing talk of U.S.-led military strikes against
President Bashar al-Assad's regime, Radio Azatutyun reports.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) by phone, several
Syrian Armenians trapped in Aleppo said they are already preparing
to use the basements of their homes as shelters if the United States
and other Western powers act on their threats of military action.
"The Armenian community is certainly worried," said Zarmig Boghikian,
an Aleppo woman working at a local Armenian magazine, "Gandzasar." "We
are neutral but concerned because those strikes will target the whole
country. Leaders of the Armenian community are telling people to be
cautious and don't leave their homes too often for the next few days."
"Many people are thinking about fleeing but that's impossible to do
in Aleppo now because the roads are closed," added Boghigian.
The Armenian government has so far avoided calling on Armenians in
Syria to leave the country, while pledging to help those of them who
want to settle in Armenia. Nikolay Grigorian, the deputy director of
the Armenian Rescue Service, said on Wednesday that the authorities
in Yerevan would consider organizing their evacuation only if they
receive a relevant request from the community leaders.
There were an estimated 80,000 ethnic Armenians in Syria before
the outbreak of the conflict there more than two years ago. About
10,000 of them have since taken refuge in Armenia, according to the
authorities in Yerevan. An even larger number of Syrian Armenians is
thought to have fled to neighboring Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress