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The new Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee on Migration of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Dr. Daniela De Ridder (Germany), today expressed great concern over the current developments in the South Caucasus region and the situation of Karabakh refugees. Dr. De Ridder:

“We are currently witnessing an exodus in the South Caucasus. Almost the entire Armenian population of the Karabakh region, over 100,000 people, has fled to Armenia following the escalation of hostilities at the end of September. More than half of the refugees are children and elderly persons. Armenia has displayed remarkable solidarity with ordinary citizens also opening their homes. However, the large number of refugees is placing an enormous economic, financial and social strain on the country.

I welcome that the European Union and some OSCE participating States have already voluntarily increased their funding for emergency humanitarian assistance, including for the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Further increases are essential to enable Armenia to provide critical support to the Karabakh refugees and local host communities, also taking into account the harsh winter months ahead.

Azerbaijani authorities must fully guarantee the safety and human rights of ethnic Armenians remaining in Karabakh. While the Azerbaijani government’s agreement to  on-site inspections by the United Nations is an important positive step, a longer-term mission by the OSCE or the UN could contribute to the building of mutual trust between the communities and promote the willingness of Karabakh Armenians who have fled to return.”