Armenian Quake Aid

As an active participant in earthquake relief for Armenia I found Esther Schrader’s article “Armenia Quake Relief Stuck in Pipeline” quite accurate (Part I, July 23). I am happy, however, to report that in the last month the pipeline has been unstuck!

Armenians the world over have raised $45 million for aid to Armenia. Seventy-five percent of this money has been allocated for projects now in the implementation stage.

The Armenian communities in the following countries are providing the equipment or materials for:

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Renovation of a meat processing plant, laboratory for artificial insemination of cattle and 200 Holstein embryos.

Sao Paulo, Brazil: Two kindergartens and 10 computer classrooms.

London, England: A school and clinic in Leninakan.

Sydney, Australia: One hundred prefabricated homes.

Vienna, Austria: Clinic in Stepanavan.

Toronto, Montreal, Canada: A poultry processing plant.

Beirut, Lebanon: $1 million to New York University Rusk Institute for a prosthesis center.

United States: A school, 200 prefabricated homes, two mobile clinics, solar energy equipment and a concrete block factory.

Our own organization, the Armenian General Benevolent Union, has agreed to provide stone cutting equipment, 10,000-ton cold food storage for Leninakan and injection molding machines for the production of disposable syringes.

Of course all these projects are in addition to the 1,000 tons of clothing, food and medicine flown to Armenia during December and January by the Armenian community.

During the past three months Armenian organizations like our own have airlifted 70 injured patients from Yerevan hospitals for treatment here in the United States.

Hospitals in 15 states have been truly generous offering medical treatment valued at millions of dollars.

It has been a tragic time for all Armenians, but we are on the road to recovery.

LOUISE MANOOGIAN SIMONE

Executive Vice President

Armenian General

Benevolent Union

Saddle Brook, N.J.