An aerial view of Goris with the tent camp for Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh arriving to Armenia in Syunik region, Armenia, Sept 29, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

UNITED NATIONS - The world body and the government of Azerbaijan have agreed on a mission to the Nagorno-Karabakh region, said a UN spokesman on Friday.

The mission, which will allow UN access to the disputed region for the first time in about 30 years, will take place over the weekend, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

It will be led by Ramesh Rajasingham, the director of the Coordination Division of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and by the UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva, he said.

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"We haven't had access there in about 30 years. So it's very important that we will be able to get in. ... While there, the team will seek to assess the situation on the ground and identify the humanitarian needs for both people remaining and the people that are on the move," he said.

The issue of human rights, of the respect of the rights of minorities and international law, remains very high on our concerns. We've also taken note of the statements made by the Azerbaijani government, in which they were very clear in saying they will respect the rights of minorities.

Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for UN Secretary-General

The focus will be on humanitarian affairs and also, as part of that, on issues of civilian protection. But there is no representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights going on the mission, said the spokesman.

"The issue of human rights, of the respect of the rights of minorities and international law, remains very high on our concerns. We've also taken note of the statements made by the Azerbaijani government, in which they were very clear in saying they will respect the rights of minorities," he said.

The mission is an initial one and will be made up of fewer than 10 people, he said.

Rising refugees influx

Dujarric added that the UN is working with the Armenian government to support the rapidly rising influx of refugees across the border from Azerbaijan.

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According to the latest official figures from the government, there are about 93,000 men, women and children who have crossed into Armenia, said the spokesman.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) noted that refugees are mainly arriving in the Syunik region of southern Armenia. The UNHCR pointed out that an inter-agency response plan is being finalized, to be followed by a joint financial appeal, he said.

Ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh carry their belongings after arriving to Armenia's Goris in Syunik region, Armenia, Sept 29, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

UNHCR teams have been on the ground, at the border since day one, when the first groups of refugees arrived exhausted, frightened and apprehensive about the future. The UNHCR is working with the Armenian government on technical equipment, including laptops, tablets and other items to facilitate the registration of people, said the spokesman.

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The World Food Programme (WFP) has placed two mobile warehouses in Goris for non-food items storage and a mobile kitchen serving up to 3,000 people every day. The WFP has also delivered 4,000 food parcels to support 16,000 people in need in the Syunik area, he said.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has established a safe space in the southeastern town of Goris, serving nearly 300 children every day along with their parents, backed by a humanitarian hub. UNICEF also provided health authorities with essential medicine and supplies for children, he said.

An ethnic Armenian woman from Nagorno-Karabakh lies in a truck as she arrives in Armenia's Goris in Syunik region, Armenia, on Sept 27, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

The UN Population Fund is supporting thousands of women in transit centers in the southeastern regions of Syunik and Vayots Dzor with 8,000 dignity kits, including drinking water, sanitary pads, soap, and more. Supporting health authorities, the UN Team in Armenia has distributed 150,000 health kits to support the current number of refugees, along with their host communities, said Dujarric.

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Along with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the UN Development Programme are preparing to launch a psychosocial support scheme to cover the needs of over 12,000 refugees, he said.

The refugee influx followed last week's Azerbaijani military offensive in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the mountainous region since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a cease-fire was agreed on. But there have been sporadic minor clashes since then. 

A new round of major armed conflict broke out along the contact line in September 2020, before Russia brokered a new cease-fire agreement in November 2020. 

The latest escalation occurred on Sept 19, 2023, followed by a Russian-brokered cease-fire the next day.