On October 10, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that a team from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) completed a week-long mission to Azerbaijan and Armenia on October 5 to identify the most pressing needs of people in the Karabakh region, as well as refugees heading to Armenia.

The information said that the OCHA team led by the coordination director of the organization, Ramesh Rajasingham, accompanied the UN resident coordinator Vladanka Andreeva and representatives of UN agencies to Karabakh on October 1. In the urban areas visited, the team saw very few residents, most of whom were waiting for buses to leave the area. The official also saw signs of people quickly leaving the area, leaving their personal belongings and livestock behind.

"Civilian infrastructure and houses such as schools, the main hospital, and residential buildings appeared to be intact. The mission did not visit any villages on this first visit but will visit these areas in the coming days and weeks. The team also went to the border with Armenia through the Lachin corridor, used by more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians to escape from Karabakh in recent days. Along the way, the team found personal belongings and vehicles that had broken down or ran out of fuel strewn on the side of the road. While the mission was there, no civilians were seen in the corridor," the report said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the OCHA team in Armenia, Acting Resident Coordinator Natia Natsvlishvili, and a UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) representative met with government officials and civil society organizations. They also spoke to refugees fleeing Karabakh - traumatized and frightened women, men, and children, and talked about the fear and panic that drove them to flee.

OCHA emphasized that trust and confidence are essential before any voluntary return terms to Karabakh can be meaningfully achieved. "Shortly, those who fled Karabakh should receive the help they need, those who remained should be taken care of and protected, and the property rights of the displaced should be respected. In support of the government-led response, UNHCR, UN agencies, and NGO partners have launched a US$97 million appeal to help 231,000 people in Armenia, including refugees and host communities supporting them, over six months. UNHCR has been assisting on the ground since refugees began arriving in Armenia at the end of last month. Ahead of the harsh winter months, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated 4 million dollars to help with shelter and other critical needs," the information added.