Residents of Nagorno-Karabakh Face Real Risk of Starvation, Says Armenian Foreign Ministry

The population of Nagorno-Karabakh is facing a real risk of starvation. This was stated in a declaration by the Armenian Foreign Ministry: “For the past 7 months, the Lachin corridor, the only lifeline connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to the outside world, has been unlawfully blocked by the Azerbaijani authorities. During these months, all actions surrounding the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan, including protests by fake eco-activists, the installation of a checkpoint, and the notorious blockade of movement ‘for punitive purposes,’ clearly demonstrate that these steps are strategically planned by the Azerbaijani authorities aimed at creating life-threatening conditions for the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and ethnic cleansing.”

The operations carried out by Azerbaijan not only directly contradict the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, but also represent a blatant disregard for the calls of the civilized world to lift the blockade of the Lachin corridor, the resolutions passed by various parliaments, and the legally binding decisions of the International Court of Justice on February 22 and July 6. We find it necessary to once again emphasize that the Court has confirmed with its latest decision that Azerbaijan's claims of implementing the Court’s February 22 decision, which ensures the uninterrupted movement of people, vehicles, and goods in both directions through the Lachin corridor, have nothing to do with reality.

During these months, the humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade of the Lachin corridor has worsened, exacerbated by Azerbaijan’s ongoing disruptions to gas and electricity supplies for several months. Since June 15, the supply of food to Nagorno-Karabakh has been completely halted. While, under normal conditions, Nagorno-Karabakh would receive around 400 tons of supplies through the Lachin corridor, since December 12, the amount transported by the Russian peacekeeping force has been significantly less. Currently, the population of Nagorno-Karabakh faces a real threat of starvation, as all supply of goods has been entirely prohibited.

Recent reports in Azerbaijani media about attempts to transfer cigarettes and mobile phone batteries reveal the dire situation faced by the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh, reflecting their desperation and dignified suffering, while also proving once again the fact that the free movement of goods is not functioning.

A similar situation has arisen in the healthcare sector. There is a clear shortage of necessary medications for providing proper medical assistance, resulting in serious health challenges for vulnerable groups in need of comprehensive medical support, including individuals suffering from cancer and diabetes, pregnant women, and young children. The mortality rate in Nagorno-Karabakh has already begun to rise.

During this time, only a few dozen patients and their accompanying persons have managed to be transferred to Armenia for urgent medical assistance via the ICRC. These individuals have had to undergo humiliating processes, being filmed and used as instruments by the Azerbaijani propaganda machine to prove that there is supposedly an unhindered passage through the Lachin corridor.

It is regrettable to note that the international community and international humanitarian organizations have still not managed to secure their humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh during these months for the purpose of conducting fact-finding missions and providing humanitarian assistance.

In such a situation, Armenia expects the international community to deploy the necessary mechanisms to implement the legally binding decisions of the International Court of Justice regarding the opening of the Lachin corridor. This is essential to prevent the humanitarian disaster in Nagorno-Karabakh and to halt Azerbaijan's policy of ethnic cleansing. The civilized world cannot and must not tolerate such actions and the disregard for the legally binding ruling of the International Court.”