EU provides additional €3 million for Karabakh relief efforts

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Commission on Thursday, February 18 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 mobilized a total of €6.9 million in humanitarian assistance.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: "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. The EU is stepping up its support for the conflict-affected population in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. It will help provide emergency supplies to those most in need.”

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. All EU humanitarian funding is provided in line with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev on November 9 signed a statement to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Under the deal, the Armenian side has returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.