ICRC Director-General: Very few people remain in Nagorno-Karabakh:  elderly and people with disabilities

ArmInfo. The International Committee of the Red Cross has been present in Nagorno-Karabakh for  several decades. The Director General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Robert Mardini stated.

"We were there during various episodes of hostilities and remain the  only international humanitarian organization that has been operating  in the region for the past 30 years. And currently, the ICRC  continues its activities throughout the region, including in  Nagorno-Karabakh," he noted on RTVI broadcast.  At the same time, the  representative of the Organization added that after the massive  movement of people from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia in September, the  ICRC began searching for people who were unable to leave or who  themselves wished to stay.

"Our employees visited cities and villages, walked around, looking  with megaphones for those who remained there.

Although most have left, we support those who remain there together  with the Armenian ICRC. There were very few people left, elderly  people, people with disabilities who could not leave for Armenia.  About 20 of the remaining people received food parcels, hygiene  products from us, and underwent a medical examination. We ensured the  safe movement of about 50 vulnerable people to Armenia," he stressed,  adding that most of them were reunited with their families in  Armenia.

In conclusion, Mardini noted that the ICRC continues to maintain  contact with the few people who remain in Artsakh. "This is still a  very important region for us," concluded the ICRC representative.

After another Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh on  September 19, Artsakh fell. The entire indigenous Armenian  population, over 100 thousand people, was forced to flee from their  homes to Armenia amid the threat of ethnic cleansing. Enemy  aggression occurred against the background of inaction of the entire  civilized international community. On October 15, Azerbaijani  President Ilham Aliyev raised the Azerbaijani flag in occupied  Stepanakert. Since the enemy aggression that began in the fall of  2020, which in September of this year ended with the complete ethnic  cleansing of Artsakh, more than 150 thousand Artsakh residents have  become homeless.