18 February, the European Commission announced €3 million in humanitarian aid to assist those affected by the recent large scale hostilities in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, including a significant number of displaced people.
Since the beginning of the hostilities in September 2020, the EU has mobilised a total of €6.9 million in humanitarian assistance. The EU also supports its humanitarian partners and other stakeholders on the ground to coordinate the humanitarian response.
The newly announced emergency support will help EU humanitarian partners to deliver food, shelter, winter items and other basic needs, as well as essential health services and psychosocial support to the affected population.
"Following the cessation of hostilities, the humanitarian crisis in the region remains dire and is currently exacerbated by the harsh winter and the coronavirus pandemic,” said Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management. The EU support will help provide emergency supplies to those most in need, added Lenarčič.
The recent military confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which raged unabated for six weeks, has caused casualties, damage and displacement. The fighting pushed hundreds of thousands to flee their homes for safety. Houses and public infrastructure such as schools, health system, roads, utilities and communication networks, were badly damaged. Alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law include the targeting of civilian infrastructure and use of banned cluster munitions, says the press release issued by the European Commission.