IP/95/488

16 May 1995

The European Union is to rush food aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan this spring. The people in these two Caucasian republics are currently unable to survive without humanitarian aid, and the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) has earmarked a total of 7.65 million European Currency Units (Ecu) for immediate help.

The two countries have been in conflict over the formerly independent state of NagornoKarabakh. Since fighting exploded in 1988, over 20,000 people have died, and nearly 1.5 million have fled their homes out of a total population of 10.9 million people in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Their economies have collapsed, and their agricultural production has plunged.

The World Food Programme estimates that there are three-quarters of a million people who are vulnerable because of lack of food -- especially those displaced from their homes, mothers, children, the disabled and the elderly. In Armenia, there are still 75,000 people still living in temporary housing in the wake of the major earthquake there in 1988.

The aim is to deliver basic products in bulk to institutions where people are sheltering or taking their main meals, and to prepare food parcels for the isolated and disabled. Cereals, vegetable oil, sugar, milk powder, lentils, high protein biscuits and canned fish or meat are the priorities. Seed potatoes will also be delivered to enable at least some people to start growing their own food again. All the projects in both countries are expected to last six months.

* In Armenia, ECHO's partners are the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Cross Societies (IFRC), Mission Ost (Denmark), and Aznavour pour l'Armenie. They will work on projects to deliver the food. There will be bulk deliveries to institutions, food parcels for the elderly and for those who have fled their homes. There will be feeding programmes for children, infants and those who can be reached through kindergarten and school feeding projects.

* In Azerbaijan, ECHO's partners are Arbeiter Samariterbund (Germany) and Caritas (Denmark). They will look after displaced people and vulnerable groups all over the country. Feed the Children (UK) will look after pre-school and school feeding programmes in the north-west of the country.