Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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415. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to implement strategies that will protect persons in Nagorno-Karabakh. [36511/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The situation in the region is complex and information is oftentimes far from clear, but I can assure the Deputy that my Department is monitoring the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh very closely. Though the recent hostilities have now ended, they had a devastating impact on local civilian populations. The destruction of essential services during the conflict, including hospitals and utility networks poses a serious, protracted risk to those in the region. Ensuring access for humanitarian organisations must be a top priority to avoid further catastrophe, particularly as we head into winter. Ireland and the EU will do all we can to help bring about a sustainable and lasting peace and we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance. In that regard, we note the key role that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees will continue to play.

Currently the ICRC is the only international humanitarian organisation effectively present across the region with a physical presence in Nagorno Karabakh. Their role in this crisis is critical: they are providing assistance to displaced persons, engaging in dialogues with relevant authorities on international humanitarian law and protection issues and acting as a neutral intermediary for the recovery of human remains and prisoner exchanges. Ireland enjoys a deep partnership with the ICRC and we have provided over €17 million in funding to ICRC this year to support their operations in crisis zones around the world.