Zara Amatuni: Red Cross awaiting further steps of both governments
International Committee of the Red Cross Office in Armenia sent additional delegates to NKR capital, Stepanakert, said ICRC Armenian office press representative, Zara Amatuni in an interview with Panorama.am.
Usually 15 people work in Stepanakert office of the organization, yet 3 more delegates including a medico-legal expert have been sent to NKR. According to Amatuni, if need be they will send more delegates. Medical kits have also been sent to Stepanakert military hospital.
“We have no news at the moment, as we are awaiting further steps of the governments of both sides to be able to deal with the issues relating soldiers who have been killed or those missing,” she said.
Amatuni noted, that except official information they possess no other data, “We are following the developments of the situations, and we can operate only in case of approval from the sides. We haven’t yet received any approval”.
Earlier ICRC head of the operations for the region Patrick Vial said, "We are ready to assist and support those affected by the recent escalation of fighting, as well as to act as a neutral intermediary between the parties. All sides to the conflict have an obligation to respect the rules of international humanitarian law. As per these rules, the parties must ensure that civilian life and infrastructure is protected".
To remind, the ICRC has been operating in the region since 1992 in relation to Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The ICRC supports communities living along the Line of Contact between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan and international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, through its delegations in Baku and Yerevan and the mission in Nagorno Karabakh.
Besides, the ICRC works to clarify the fate of missing persons and help their families, visits detainees and acts as a neutral intermediary to facilitate transfer and repatriation of persons released on both sides of the border and the Line of Contact.