Dutch government contributing €10 million for Armenia

Through the Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF) the Netherlands supports middle-income countries that receive large numbers of refugees but are not usually eligible for concessional financing from development banks. One such country is Armenia, which has taken in over 100,000 residents from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) since September, the Dutch government reported.

On 19 September, Azerbaijan launched offensive operations against Nagorno-Karabakh. As a result, more than 100,000 people were forced to flee their homes, nearly all of whom found refuge in Armenia.

“Those from Nagorno-Karabakh taken in represent about 3% of the Armenian population,” the government said in a statement.

“The sudden population increase has put a great deal of pressure on the country’s social services, labour market and overall economy. Taking in so many people also entails considerable costs. To help Armenia in this regard, the Netherlands is contributing €10 million to the Global Concessional Financing Facility,” it added.