European Commissioner for Crisis Management visits Armenia to coordinate EU assistance to NK forcibly displaced persons

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan has met with European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič to discuss the humanitarian issues of the forcibly displaced Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh (NK).

Khachatryan and Lenarčič delivered a joint press conference after their meeting on October 6.

“We attached importance to coordinating the efforts by the Armenian government and the EU regarding the large-scale measures of humanitarian nature and directing the incoming humanitarian aid to the needs of the forcibly displaced persons. We discussed issues of developing a single platform of cooperation and increasing the effectiveness of our actions in that format,” Khachatryan said.

He appreciated the rapid response by the EU and its member states to address the needs of the over 100,000 forcibly displaced persons of NK who’ve arrived to Armenia.

Commissioner for Crisis Management JanezLenarčičis in Armenia to coordinate the EU's assistance to the country in light of the mass exodus of people from Nagorno-Karabakh. This follows European Commission Presidentvon der Leyen'smeetingwith Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan yesterday in Granada where a series ofEU support measureswere outlined. The visit comes as aplane carrying EU emergency suppliesis due to arrive in Yerevan. The aid flight is part of theEuropean Humanitarian Response Capacitywhich has been activated to provide support to humanitarian organisations on the ground, the European Commission said in a press release.

Mobilising its humanitarian stockpiles, the EU is delivering hygiene kits, kitchen sets, blankets, solar LED-s, and solar flashlights to EU humanitarian partners who will then rapidly distribute them to the people in need. This aid flight will therefore help support people in need with shelter and accommodation essentials.

Furthermore, the Commissioner will discuss the latest support mobilised via theEU Civil Protection Mechanismwhich was activated on 29 September upon a request from Armenia. So far, Austria, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Sweden have offeredurgently needed shelter equipment and food and medical supplies. Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Sweden have offeredmedical supportto assist the mass burn victims of the fuel depot explosion in Stepanakert. The first medical evacuation flight transporting patients for treatment in France landed yesterday in Paris.

A team of EU humanitarian experts have been deployed to Armenia where they are now coordinating with humanitarian partners to assess the developing needs and to ensure a rapid response to the crisis. TheEU's Emergency Response Coordination Centreis operating 24/7 to coordinate donations via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to Armenia.