Armenian-Americans send aid via Qatar Airways during war with Azerbaijan

Qatar Airways brought aid from the Armenian community in the United States to Armenia amid the continued war with Azerbaijan.

Armenia’s Civil Aviation Committee said the Doha-based airline flew humanitarian aid to Yerevan on Monday. An earlier flight on Oct. 15 was not allowed to fly over Turkey; however, this flight flew into Armenia via Turkish air space, the committee said in a statement.

Reuters also reported a Qatar Airways aid flight was canceled at the time but could not determine why.

Armenia Fund, which is a humanitarian organization in Los Angeles, said they organized the flight of 43 tons of aid. The plane flew from Los Angeles, the organization said in an Instagram post showing the Qatar Airways flight.

Qatar Airways did not respond to Al-Monitor’s request for comment.

Armenia is currently at war with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The Armenia-backed Republic of Artsakh controls the disputed territory, which is recognized as Azerbaijani by international law. The two countries have fought several times over the area since the end of the Soviet Union.

Many Armenians outside the country have mobilized to support the homeland in the conflict via fundraising and social media campaigns. Some Armenians from the United States and France have also traveled there to fight.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict involves several countries in the region. Turkey backs Azerbaijan militarily. Qatar is an ally of Turkey but is not directly involved and welcomed a cease-fire last week. Iran does not support either side and has called for peace, but it is concerned about spillover reaching its borders. Israel also reportedly has supplied Azerbaijan with military equipment.