The United States, the European Union and several European countries on Tuesday pledged millions of dollars in humanitarian funding to deal with the tens of thousands of Artsakh residents arriving in Armenia.
The EU announced that it will boost its humanitarian funding by 5 million euros ($5.1 million) as the U.S. said it will allocate $11.5 million for the effort. France and Sweden have also announced their own aid packages.
The EU’s funding was confirmed by the bloc’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, who in a social media post called for unimpeded access to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Speaking about the explosion at a fuel depot that rocked Stepanakert on Monday, he said that the EU was providing additional assistance.
“Our thoughts are with the victims of yesterday’s tragic gas explosion in Stepanakert/Khankendi and their loved ones. There is an urgent need for unimpeded international humanitarian access to Nagorno Karabakh. EU announced additional assistance and ready to do more,” Borrell said on X.
“The conflict escalation and subsequent ceasefire is expected to trigger a mass exodus of people from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia… At the same time, there is a major food shortage and lack of access to electricity and water within the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave,” the European Commission said in a statement announcing its 5 million-euro package.
The European Commission said the funding will “assist people displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. This aid will be delivered by various EU humanitarian partners operating in Armenia to reach around 25 000 people. The priority is to provide cash assistance, shelter, food security and livelihoods assistance and assist vulnerable people inside Nagorno-Karabakh.”
“This aid will be channelled through the International Committee of Red Cross and aims to support around 60,000 people with food, healthcare, shelter and logistics,” the statement added. “The EU is also deploying a humanitarian expert to the region who will work hand in hand with humanitarian partners on the ground to ensure a rapid response to the crisis.”
Samantha Power, the administration of the U.S. Agency for International Development visited the Kornidzor village in Armenia’s Syunik Province on Tuesday and met with medical professionals who told her that many of the forcibly displaced persons were suffering from malnutrition.
“It is very difficult to hear and see what these families are going through. Many left their towns and villages under shelling,” she said.
Power also met with people whose loved ones are missing.
She emphasized the need for international monitors and humanitarian organizations to have access to Nagorno-Karabakh to provide assistance to those in need on the ground.
France announced that it would provide 7 million euros, in addition to medical equipment for the displaced Artsakh residents, while Sweden said it will allocate $1.3 million in assistance.