A bipartisan letter led by Senators Chris Van Hollen and Todd Young is calling for funds to support demining in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).
The letter, which was addressed to the Senate Appropriations Committee, requests $2 million for Conventional Weapons Destruction programs for demining in Artsakh following the 44-day war last autumn launched by Azerbaijan, with the full and open support of Turkey.
The letter states in part:
“The recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh resulted in enormous levels of contamination by cluster munitions, rockets, and other explosive ordnance. These hazards are still present near homes, and litter farms and streets – presenting a grave humanitarian risk. Further, the removal of explosives is critical to continuing to rebuild infrastructure decimated during the conflict.”
By allocating $2 million for Fiscal Year 2022, it will “allow for ordnance removal efforts activities to scale up and ensure families can return to their livelihoods without fear of explosive threats.”
