During the last week of September, Azerbaijan seized the entirety of Nagorno-Karabakh—a disputed region in the South Caucasus that is also called Artsakh. As a result, tens of thousands of people fled into Armenia to escape the increased hostilities. First arriving in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, these families dispersed throughout the rest of the country to stay with relatives and friends.
Our culinary teams set up a Relief Kitchen in Yerevan where they cooked nearly 10,000 meals daily, while restaurant partners provided thousands more hot meals. Meanwhile, our Community Outreach Team scouted all eleven regions of the country to ensure no one in need of food was overlooked.
WCK has strong culinary partnerships in Armenia, which helped us provide warm meals, sandwiches, and water to families as soon as they crossed the border into the country. Chef Corps member Aline Kamakian and volunteers from the Armenian General Benevolent Union began serving meals to families in Yerevan as our Relief Team made its way to the country. We also worked alongside Chef Aline in 2020 when she supported our work in Lebanon following the Beirut explosion that devastated the city.
By the numbers
hot meals
provided
local partners
pounds
food kits distributed
Working beside Armenians
Learn more about the partners we worked with and people we served meals to.
Escaping the conflict
As our teams arrived in Armenia, they found roads clogged with thousands of cars fleeing for safety. Many families packed as many of their possessions as they could fit; there was a painful sense that they might never be able to return to their homes.
Chefs For Armenia
More about Chef Aline
Aline Kamakian is a writer and Lebanese Armenian culinary ambassador who is a member of WCK’s Chef Corps. She was on the ground in Armenia ahead of WCK and helped guide our work in the country. Despite sustaining injuries as a result of the massive explosion that rocked Beirut in early August 2020, Aline and her team worked alongside WCK to cook thousands of meals for families impacted by the disaster.
Baking bread in Armenia
Lavash is traditional Armenian bread that we served with many of our hot meals. Making proper lavash requires skill, coordination, and experience. First, you roll out the dough into thin layers. Then, it is stretched over an oval cushion before being slapped onto the walls of a clay oven. After, the lavash is pulled from oven wall and lies flat to cool before being folded.
