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Add to Preferred SourcesThe European Commission on May 17 is delivering on its pledge to contribute an additional €10 million in humanitarian aid, including some very early recovery to help civilians affected by the recent conflict in and around Nagorno Karabakh.
The new funding is part of the EU’s efforts to strengthen resilience and peacebuilding in the South Caucasus. This brings EU assistance to people in need, since the start of the hostilities in September 2020, to over €17 million.
“The humanitarian situation in the region continues to require our attention, with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbating the impact of the conflict. The EU is substantially increasing its support to help people affected by the conflict to meet their basic needs and to rebuild their lives,” said Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič.
“As pledged at the end of last year, we are today delivering additional assistance to the people most affected by the conflict. Our support will not stop there: the EU continues to work towards a more comprehensive conflict transformation and long-term socio-economic recovery and resilience of the region,” said Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi.
The funding made available on May 17 will help to provide emergency assistance including:
- food
- hygiene and household items
- multi-purpose cash
- healthcare
- protection assistance, including psychosocial support
- education in emergency
- It will also ensure early recovery assistance through livelihood support.
The assistance will benefit the most vulnerable conflict-affected people, including displaced persons, returnees, and host communities. This additional funding will also ensure humanitarian demining in populated areas and provide mine risk education to affected people.
All EU humanitarian funding is provided based on needs and in line with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as enshrined in EU and international law. It is delivered in partnership with UN agencies, international organizations and NGOs.
The aid provided by the European Union comes as a response to the recent military confrontation including Armenia and Azerbaijan, which raged unabated for 6 weeks, has caused casualties, damages and displacement of the local population. The fighting pushed hundreds of thousands to flee their homes for safety, of which some remain displaced and will not be able to return to their homes in the long term.