The United Nations Refugee Agency has requested 97 million dollars to fund emergency relief for refugees in Armenia. The figure, reported by Sputnik Armenia, outlines support intended to last for six months and spans multiple critical sectors. Key areas include population protection, programs for children, education, food assistance, shelter, and essential healthcare services. The appeal emphasizes the urgent need to stabilize living conditions for those displaced and to safeguard vulnerable communities during a period of intensified humanitarian strain.
Official briefings note that roughly 136 thousand refugees and about 95 thousand host residents require ongoing assistance. This caseload reflects a broader humanitarian burden in the country, where displacement has increased demand for social protection, safety nets, and access to basic services. International partners, humanitarian agencies, and national authorities are coordinating efforts to deliver timely aid while maintaining accountability and transparency in how resources are allocated.
In response to the unfolding situation, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi stressed the importance of urgent support to address immediate needs. His remarks underscore a shared responsibility among the international community to respond quickly to evolving refugee and displacement scenarios and to align relief efforts with the most pressing survival requirements on the ground.
Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Janez Lenarčič, the European Commission’s Commissioner for Crisis Management. The discussions highlighted the necessity for financial assistance from global partners to tackle the humanitarian challenges posed by internally displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian leadership outlined the scale of the crisis and the urgency of sustained international engagement to prevent a deeper humanitarian crisis inside the country.
According to the Armenian authorities, the financial support is deemed essential to manage the consequences of the mass movement of more than 100 thousand people from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenian territory. The government has framed the funding request as a critical step toward stabilizing communities, ensuring access to basic services, and facilitating safe, dignified conditions for those who have fled or been displaced within the country.
Past assurances of international aid have included commitments from the United States and other partners to assist Karabakh residents. These promises, while important, are part of a broader, ongoing dialogue with international donors who are weighing the most effective ways to deploy resources, monitor impact, and support long-term recovery alongside immediate relief efforts. The situation remains fluid, with relief operations adapting to changing needs on the ground and the evolving security and political environment in the region.
Experts emphasize that timely, coordinated action is critical to preventing a secondary crisis in health, shelter, and livelihoods. Humanitarian actors advocate for uninterrupted supply chains, rapid vaccination campaigns where needed, and protection measures for vulnerable groups, including women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Monitoring and evaluation will continue to ensure that aid reaches the most affected populations and that funding is used as intended. In parallel, efforts to strengthen local institutions and community networks aim to build resilience against future shocks and to support sustainable, localized recovery pathways. This approach aligns with broader international guidance on displacement and refugee protection, reinforcing the principle that humanitarian relief should uphold dignity, rights, and autonomy for those in need. Citations to official statements and reports from the United Nations and cooperating agencies provide the factual scaffolding for these ongoing relief efforts.