On Tuesday 19 September, Azerbaijan launched an attack on various areas in Nagorno-Karabakh. The region is a self-proclaimed republic internationally recognised as belonging to Azerbaijan, but which has traditionally been home to many ethnic Armenians. After a ceasefire agreement was reached 24 hours later, more than 100,000 residents from the region made their way to neighbouring Armenia through the Lachin corridor, located between the region and the border, which had been closed for 10 months. Once registered in Goris, in Syunik province, southern Armenia, part of the internally displaced people dispersed to other provinces of Armenia according to UNHCR figures. To date, the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh has practically completely emptied of its population.

On Thursday 28 September, a medical team from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) began receiving patients at the registration centre in Goris. So far, our team of psychologists has provided mental health consultations and psychological first aid to over 200 people in just a few days. Most of the people we meet suffer from mental health issues, and MSF medical staff have observed stress, uncertainty about the future, shock, denial, fear, anger, grief, sleep disturbances and physical symptoms such as stomach aches and headaches among the patients they see.