Armenia seeks EU aid for Nagorno-Karabakh refugees

Since Azerbaijan regained control of the region last week, Armenia has requested assistance from the European Union to help it deal with the influx of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, according to information released on Saturday by the prime minister’s office of Italy.

Although Nagorno-Karabakh is widely acknowledged to be a part of Azerbaijan, it is mostly populated by Armenian Christians who founded the so-called Republic of Artsakh thirty years ago as the Soviet Union fell apart following a brutal ethnic struggle.

According to the president of the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), more than 100,000 refugees have entered Armenia since Azerbaijan began a military assault to restore control of Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to a statement released by the Italian prime minister’s office, Armenia has requested temporary shelters and medical supplies from the EU.

(With agency inputs)