Teams from the United Nations are providing assistance to those who have suffered burn injuries during the ongoing crisis in Karabakh.
Over 170 individuals lost their lives and over 200 sustained injuries, with severe burns and critical conditions, in a blast at a densely populated fuel storage area on the path used by those entering Armenia on Monday.
‘Heart-breaking’ scenes
Robb Butler, the Special Envoy for the WHO, visited a burns treatment center in Yerevan, Armenia and expressed his heartbreak over the suffering he witnessed.
“All 80 beds in this hospital are currently filled with survivors of the Karabakh explosion. The healthcare staff is putting in great effort to care for and help these individuals recover, but due to the limited resources of this small country, the demand is overwhelming.”
The United Nations’ health organization is taking action by providing burns kits and enlisting international assistance to send burns experts to assist with the situation. They are also assessing how to effectively aid in the long-term recovery of the survivors.
Addressing needs
In addition to assisting those affected by the fire, the World Health Organization is offering essential healthcare services, such as mental health and psychosocial support, to refugees.
The organization is establishing modular clinics that are prefabricated and assisting the Armenian Government in incorporating healthcare professionals, including approximately 300 doctors and 1,200 nurses who arrived from the Karabakh region as of Saturday, into primary healthcare facilities and hospitals in Armenia. They are also providing medication for non-communicable diseases, enough to cover three months of treatment for up to 50,000 individuals.
People seeking refuge in the town of Goris, located on the border of Armenia.
Coordinated UN effort
Based on recent calculations, approximately 100,000 individuals have entered Armenia. The UN teams stationed in the area are providing assistance to the newcomers in collaboration with local authorities and partners.
UNICEF has set up a safe area for children in Goris, which caters to approximately 300 children and their families on a daily basis. This space provides opportunities for children to engage in play, a designated area for mothers to breastfeed, and access to paediatric care for urgent needs.
The UN’s emergency food relief agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), is supplying hot meals, food parcels, and food cards to individuals. Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is assisting the government by providing technical equipment, such as laptops and tablets, to aid in registration.
In addition, it supplied necessary aid items, including collapsible beds and mattresses, for individuals seeking refuge.
Source: news.un.org
