As the “mass” exodus of Armenians from Karabakh continues, on Friday 29 September, the European Union called on Azerbaijan to allow the United Nations access to Nagorno-Karabakh.
“It is essential that a UN mission can access the territory within the next days”, stressed the spokesman for the European External Action Service (EEAS) in a statement.
He recalled that Azerbaijan had a responsibility to guarantee the rights and security of the Karabakh Armenians, “including their right to live in their homes in dignity without intimidation and discrimination, as well as the right to return for those displaced”.
According to Yerevan, more than 90,000 people have fled their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh to find refuge in Armenia, representing two-thirds of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The EEAS spokesman said that the EU had taken note of the announcement by the Azerbaijani authorities to launch a registration process for Armenian residents via a dedicated portal.
He also said that it was “urgent” to ensure continuous and unimpeded humanitarian aid to those still in need in Karabakh and to those who had left. He recalled that the EU was supporting the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is facilitating the urgent evacuation of wounded people as well as patients, and the provision of emergency aid on the ground.
The EU and its Member States have said they are ready to provide additional humanitarian aid, over and above what has already been announced, including €5 million from the European Commission (see EUROPE 13258/12). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)