HUMANITARIAN APPEAL SUPPLEMENT ISSUED FOR SOUTH CAUCASUS

21 February 1996

Press Release
IHA/588

HUMANITARIAN APPEAL SUPPLEMENT ISSUED FOR SOUTH CAUCASUS

19960221 GENEVA, 20 February (UN Information Service) -- A supplementary appeal was issued today by the United Nations asking donors for $37 million for operations in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia during the first five months of 1996. That amount was necessary to address the most urgent humanitarian needs of refugees, internally displaced and other vulnerable groups in communities still affected by or recovering from conflict.

The supplement provides a two-month extension to the consolidated appeal issued for the period April 1995 to March 1996 and allows time for the completion of a comprehensive assessment of humanitarian needs currently under way in the region. That process will be followed by the preparation of a new assistance programme, which will begin on 1 June. The needs assessment involves United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, donors and the relevant authorities in the three countries.

The appeal supplement comprises projects from eight United Nations agencies, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), plus non- governmental organizations. The appeal requests $9.6 million for Armenia, $8.7 million for Azerbaijan, $15.1 million for Georgia and $3.1 million for regional projects. The amounts take into account the needs of extending some projects, as well as shortfalls in last year's contributions to urgent, continuing projects.

Donor support for humanitarian relief in the south Caucasus has been mixed. Overall, just 60 per cent of the total needs of $118 million had been met for the period April to December 1995. Support for food and refugee- related relief was, in most cases, good, with a relatively poor response for other projects, including important health and community recovery work. A number of humanitarian programmes planned in the original appeal for the three countries will continue as planned until 31 March, while some others will be extended for the April to May period, resulting in additional requirements.

The lack of substantive progress on political talks on the Nagorno Karabakh and Abkhaz conflict have not, so far, produced any significant reduction in the numbers of displaced people dependent on humanitarian assistance. In addition, there has been little change in the condition of vulnerable groups in the region. United Nations agencies have been attempting to assist more than 900,000 people in the Caucasus, which breaks down as follows: Armenia -- 250,000 (150,000 displaced); Azerbaijan -- 405,000 (346,000 displaced); and Georgia 250,000 (150,000 displaced and host families).

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