NEWS RELEASE 18 SEPTEMBER 2023

Geneva (ICRC) — As a result of persistent diplomatic efforts to find a humanitarian consensus between the decision-makers, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday is bringing shipments of wheat flour and essential medical items to people in need via the Lachin Corridor and the Aghdam road.

“We are extremely relieved that many people reliant on humanitarian aid will finally receive much needed support in the coming days,” said Ariane Bauer, ICRC’s regional director for Europe and Central Asia. “Health structures are lacking medical supplies. People are queuing hours for bread. They urgently need sustained relief through regular humanitarian shipments. This consensus has allowed our teams to resume this life-saving work.”

The ICRC has been in talks over the last weeks with decision-makers about options to get aid into the area via different routes, including both the Lachin Corridor and Aghdam road. Monday’s operation included two trucks which simultaneously delivered goods via both the Lachin Corridor and Aghdam road.

I hope that this consensus allows for our strictly humanitarian convoys to resume not just today but in the weeks to come so that we can regularly get aid to those who need it. Our aim is to reach those most in need of assistance in line with our fundamental principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence.

Ariane Bauer, ICRC’s regional director for Europe and Central Asia

Notes to editors:
• The ICRC has been present in the South Caucasus since 1992 and is the only international organization operating across the Lachin corridor.
• From December 2022 to July 2023, the ICRC delivered 77 trucks of assistance, including 900 metric tonnes of medical supplies for health care facilities. We also distributed around 10,000 food and hygiene parcels to people in need.
• More than 800 people in need of medical care have been evacuated across the Lachin Corridor by ICRC teams.