Over 75% of ethnic Armenians have fled – DW – 09/29/2023

Armenian officials say more than three-quarters of Nagorno Karabakh’s original population has now fled to Armenia, with the region’s separatist government saying it will dissolve itself by the end of the year.

By Friday afternoon, figures showed almost 93,000 people had left the enclave, which lies wholly within Azerbaijan. 

The total number of arrivals in Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh could rise to some 120,000 — the population before the exodus started — a United Nations refugee agency official has said.

Authorities are asking for more outside support as they struggle to cope with the influx.

UNHCR representative in Armenia Kavita Belani told a press briefing by video link that tired and frightened people were gathering at registration centers in large numbers.

“This is a situation where they’ve lived under nine months of blockade,” she said. “And when they come in, they’re full of anxiety, they’re scared, they’re frightened and they want answers.”

“We are ready to cope with up to 120,000 people. It’s very hard to predict how many will come at this juncture,” she added in response to a question about refugee numbers.

Almost a third of the refugees are children, another UNHCR official told the briefing.

“The major concern for us is that many of them have been separated from their family,” said Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF regional director.

rc/rt (AFP, AP, Reuters)