UNHCR representative briefs in PACE on a special program for forcibly displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh
In the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Committees on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Migration and Monitoring held joint hearings on the topic "Human rights and humanitarian situation of Karabakh Armenians and Azerbaijan's international obligations".
During the discussion at the European Institutes of Strasbourg, Andreas Wissner has been UNHCR's Representative to the European Institutions in Strasbourg, presented facts about the displacement of the population of Nagorno Karabakh. He reminded that 100,632 refugees, including 30,000 children, received asylum in Armenia, which means that one out of every 30 people there is a newly arrived refugee. After the war in 2020, about 35,000 more refugees settled in Armenia.
"Newly arrived refugees are mostly confused and worried about their future. They don't know what will happen to their homes. They don't know if they will be able to return one day. They do not know if their children will have access to education. Most of the refugees have taken almost nothing with them and are in immediate need of basic necessities such as blankets, bedding, medicine, psychosocial support and shelter. Many, both children and adults, have been traumatized and need psychological support. Many are worried about their elderly relatives who could not or did not want to leave their homes and their pets", Wissner said.
He said, the Armenian government has made consistent and commendable efforts to register the new arrivals and meet their growing needs.
The representative of the UN office emphasized the support provided by his organization to Armenia and the Armenian refugees, at the same time, noting that there is a need to continue the support from the international community. He informed that on October 7, a "Refugee Response Program" was presented to organize the fundraising. According to the program, the international community plans to collect USD 97 million to organize support for people. The program is designed to complement the efforts of the Republic of Armenia government and other international actors to support Armenian refugees.