European Commissioner for Crisis Management arrives in Yerevan

ArmInfo. Today, Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic is in Armenia to coordinate the  EU's assistance to the country in light of the mass exodus of people  from Nagorno-Karabakh, the press service of the European Commission  reports.

According to the source, "this follows President von der Leyen's  meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan yesterday in Granada  where a series of EU support measures were outlined. The visit comes  as a plane carrying EU emergency supplies is due to arrive in  Yerevan. The aid flight is part of the European Humanitarian Response  Capacity which has been activated to provide support to humanitarian  organisations on the ground.

Mobilising its humanitarian stockpiles, the EU is delivering hygiene  kits, kitchen sets, blankets, solar LED-s, and solar flashlights to  EU humanitarian partners who will then rapidly distribute them to the  people in need. This aid flight will therefore help support people in  need with shelter and accommodation essentials.

Furthermore, the Commissioner will discuss the latest support  mobilised via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism which was activated  on 29 September upon a request from Armenia. So far, Austria,  Germany, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Sweden have offered  urgently needed shelter equipment and food and medical supplies.  Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Sweden have  offered medical support to assist the mass burn victims of the fuel  depot explosion in Stepanakert. The first medical evacuation flight  transporting patients for treatment in France landed yesterday in  Paris.

A team of EU humanitarian experts have been deployed to Armenia where  they are now coordinating with humanitarian partners to assess the  developing needs and to ensure a rapid response to the crisis. 

The EU's Emergency Response Coordination Centre is operating 24/7 to  coordinate donations via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to  Armenia.

During his mission, the Commissioner will meet the Prime Minister of  Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan; the Deputy Prime Minister, Tigran  Khachatryan; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ararat Mirzoyan, as  well as EU humanitarian partners in Armenia. Commissioner Lenarcic  will also visit shelters for the displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh,"  the message  reads.