2023-09-18 05:30:00
Geneva (ICRC) – Thanks to persistent diplomatic efforts to reach a humanitarian consensus among decision-makers, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will today deliver shipments of wheat flour and essential medical supplies through the corridor from Lachin and the Agdam road.
“It is a huge relief to know that many people who depend on humanitarian aid will finally receive much-needed support in the coming days,” said Ariane Bauer, ICRC regional director for Europe and Central Asia. “Medical supplies are lacking in health facilities. Endless lines form for bread. Sustained assistance through regular humanitarian shipments is urgently needed. This consensus has allowed our teams to resume this vital work.”
Over the past few weeks, the ICRC has held discussions with decision-makers about alternatives to delivering assistance to the area via different routes, including the Lachín corridor and the highway. of Agdam. The operation carried out today includes the simultaneous delivery of goods in two trucks that circulate on these two roads.
“I hope that this consensus will allow us to resume shipments through our strictly humanitarian convoys, not only today, but in the coming weeks, so that we can regularly bring assistance to those who need it. Our goal is to reach those who most need assistance, according with our fundamental principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence.”
Ariane Bauer, ICRC Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia
Notes for editors:
The ICRC has been present in the South Caucasus since 1992; It is the only international organization operating in the entire Lachín corridor. Between December 2022 and July 2023, the ICRC delivered relief items in 77 trucks containing 900 metric tons of medical supplies for health facilities. We also distributed around 10,000 food packages and hygiene items to the population. ICRC teams evacuated more than 800 people in need of medical care throughout the Lachín corridor.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mission established in the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence around the world, doing everything possible to protect their lives and dignity, and to alleviate their suffering, often together with their Red Cross and Red Crescent partners
Media Contacts:
Fatima Sator, ICRC, Geneva, tel.: +41 79 848 4908, [email protected]
Ewan Watson, ICRC, Geneva, tel.: +41792446470, [email protected]
#AzerbaijanArmenia #humanitarian #consensus #ICRC #assistance