A Group of Armenian Students Studying in the U.S. Send an Open Letter to the Armenian Government

A group of students studying in the United States has sent an open letter to the Armenian government. Below is the full letter:

We want to return to Armenia for several reasons and we believe it is essential to do so now.

All of us live in the U.S., a country with the most expensive healthcare in the world. Many of us cannot afford proper insurance that would allow us to access necessary medical care.

Three days ago, the U.S. became the country with the highest recorded cases of Covid-19 in the world. Many of our universities announced closures just 3-4 days ago, leaving us uncertain about how to proceed.

Many of our universities are gradually cutting us off from nutritious meals and forcing us to live off food delivered from grocery stores that are experiencing shortages, with many unable to deliver food at all.

Universities are requiring us to eat in public dining halls where we are at high risk of infection.

All students remaining at the university are being moved to a shared dormitory, disregarding individual health conditions, forcing everyone to share the same public restrooms and facilities, again increasing the risk of infection.

Many of us had our income and financial aid tied to our jobs in the community. As workplaces close, we have no means of financial support.

This troubling situation is also having serious psychological effects on us. Being far from family and loved ones, we constantly worry and stress about each other's health and safety, which puts additional strain on our families back home.

This intense stressful situation is also impacting our physical health, further weakening our immune systems and making us even more vulnerable to the virus.

We understand that everyone is in a complicated and crisis scenario, and that there are others who are in much more critical situations. We do not wish to impose financial burdens on our country, understanding that there are more urgent expenses. Therefore, we are prepared to cover all our travel costs and respectfully request only diplomatic and organizational support from the government.

We also understand the risks of bringing the virus back to Armenia and are prepared to self-isolate for the required 14 days until we are assured of our safety before joining our families.

One of the letter's authors, Tatev Gevorkyan, also made a Facebook post stating that, in response to their letter, the Armenian Embassy offered them an option to return to Armenia via Minsk on the 4th. This option is currently viable and suitable only for six people.

“There is fear of being stuck in airports for an indefinite time in case flights are canceled. Some of us, including myself, who are in a particularly unfavorable situation at the moment, agree to take that risk. Embassy representatives assured us that they have representatives from the Armenian Embassy at every point who can assist us if necessary. The consul is in constant contact with me and my university students, for which we are thankful.

Those of us buying tickets are aware of the seriousness of the situation and, even without certainty that we will successfully reach Armenia, we have already made arrangements to self-isolate for 14 days. Rest assured, we have no intention of putting our country’s citizens, especially our families, at risk, as we understand the extreme seriousness of the situation.

Thank you to everyone who reached out to help and responded,” wrote Tatev Gevorkyan.