A United Nations mission arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday, Azerbaijan said, after almost the entire ethnic-Armenian population fled since Baku recaptured the breakaway enclave.
An Azerbaijani presidency spokesman told AFP that a "UN mission arrived in Karabakh on Sunday morning" -- mainly to assess humanitarian needs.
It marks the first time in about 30 years that the international body has gained access to the region.
Armenian separatists, who had controlled the region for three decades, agreed to disarm, dissolve their government and reintegrate with Baku following a one-day Azerbaijani offensive last week.
The end of Karabakh's separatist bid dealt a heavy blow to a centuries-old dream by Armenians of reuniting what they say are their ancestral lands, divided among regional powers since the Middle Ages.
Nearly all of Karabakh's estimated 120,000 residents fled the territory over the following days, sparking a refugee crisis.
On Sunday, Armenia observed a national day of prayer for the region.
Bells tolled in churches across the country, and the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Karekin II, lead a service in the nation's main cathedral Echmiadzin, close to the capital Yerevan.
Clergymen in ornate robes sang ancient chants at an open-air altar outside the imposing cathedral built in a pale pink limestone.
Yerevan has accused Baku of "ethnic cleansing" -- an allegation that Baku rejected -- calling on Armenians not to leave their homes and reintegrate with Azerbaijan where their rights would be respected.
Armenia, a country of 2.8 million, faces a major challenge housing the sudden influx of refugees.
Authorities said 35,000 were now in temporary accommodation.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on Friday announced an emergency appeal for 20 million Swiss Francs ($22 million) to help those fleeing.
Azerbaijan is now holding "re-integration" talks with separatist leaders while at the same time detained some senior figures from its former government and military command.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
"Isn't It Morning Yet": Andhra Minister's Wife To Cop For Making Her Wait
UN Agency Sued By Israelis Over Aiding, Abetting October 7 Hamas Attack "Yoga Is Powerful Metaphor For United Nations Itself": UNGA President World Way Off Track On Most Sustainable Development Goals, Says UN Report 116, Including Children, Killed In Stampede At Religious Event In UP 'Hug, Wink In Parliament': PM Modi's Dig At Rahul Gandhi Guru Behind UP 'Satsang' Claimed He Worked For Intelligence Bureau Israel's Next Headache: Who Will Run Post-War Gaza? "Daughter Missing, She Can't Speak": UP Stampede Survivors Look For Family Outside Hathras Hospital, Scattered Bodies, Loud Wails After Stampede Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.