UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has stated that there have been no reported incidents of maltreatment of Armenians departing from Karabakh. Approximately 89,000 individuals have left the region within the span of a week.
Kavita Belani, the UNHCR representative in Armenia, conveyed this information during a recent press conference. She expressed the agency’s deep concern about the rapidly unfolding crisis in Armenia, revealing that over 88,700 people arrived in less than a week.
Belani emphasized the UNHCR’s active involvement, stating, “UNHCR teams have been on the ground and at the border since day one when the first groups of refugees arrived exhausted, frightened, and apprehensive about the future.” In response to a question about possible maltreatment, she said, “There are no recorded incidences of mistreatment.”
Many individuals arriving in Armenia are anxious about their future and particularly concerned about their children’s access to education. Belani revealed that most of the refugees arrived with minimal possessions, necessitating urgent emergency aid such as blankets, bedding materials, medical assistance, psychosocial support, and immediate shelter.
The Armenian government is actively registering refugees at border registration centers and has established around ten humanitarian centers in various regions. Temporary accommodations, including hotels, social centers, and schools, are being provided to new arrivals without relatives in Armenia. However, due to the sheer volume of arrivals in such a short timeframe, Belani stressed the urgent need for additional emergency centers.
The tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia dates back to 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh, a territory recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan, along with seven adjacent regions. In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan successfully liberated several cities, villages, and settlements from Armenian occupation during a 44-day-long conflict. The war concluded with a Russia-brokered cease-fire.
Recent developments indicate that Armenia-backed separatists have agreed to surrender after an offensive by Azerbaijan, firmly bringing Karabakh under Azerbaijani control. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has affirmed that the rights of Karabakh’s Armenians will be fully respected, although he has dismissed the notion of an independent ethnic Armenian Karabakh, relegating it to history. Additionally, Azerbaijan has expressed its intention to allow a group of United Nations experts to visit the Karabakh region in the coming days, providing an opportunity for media coverage as well.
