Baku – With funding from USAID, hardworking Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society volunteers are delivering 7,000 more boxes of food and hygiene supplies to families experiencing hardship during the pandemic. These supplies will help 3,500 families across eight regions of the country. This is the second delivery of supplies to vulnerable families supported by USAID’s COVID-19 response funding to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) for Azerbaijan.  

On September 2, U.S. Ambassador Lee Litzenberger met Azerbaijan Red Crescent Vice President Qafar Asgarzade and Secretary General Jeyhun Mirzayev at the warehouse where workers and volunteers were busy packing and loading boxes for delivery. “The United States continues to stand with the Azerbaijani people as we work to overcome the challenges presented by the Covid-19 global pandemic. We are proud to support the Covid-19 response efforts of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society through USAID,” said Ambassador Litzenberger.  

With USAID’s support to IFRC, Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society has been able to train over 800 volunteers to respond to the pandemic and reach almost 200,000 individuals across the country with up-to-date infomation about how to protect themselves from Covid-19. They have also been able to provide psychosocial support to those experiencing distress during the pandemic.  

"The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society reaches the most vulnerable – the elderly, people with chronic illnesses or disabilities, those who cannot leave their homes – providing them with food, hygiene items, and assistance with daily chores. With the support of USAID, Red Crescent teams will continue to provide much-needed assistance to those in need during these difficult times," said Olga Dzhumaeva, Head of IFRC Delegation in South Caucasus.

In total, the United States government has provided over $4.6 million to help Azerbaijan manage the health and economic effects of the pandemic. Globally, the U.S. has provided $20.5 billion in assistance to fight the pandemic.