In recent days, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) has become extremely acute. This was announced by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at Thursday’s Cabinet meeting of the Armenian government.
“Azerbaijan first blocked the Lachin Corridor, then closed the pipeline supplying Nagorno-Karabakh with natural gas. As a result of these provocative actions, the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh have been deprived of the right to free movement, faced difficulties in heating their apartments in winter weather conditions. Thousands of people, including children, have been stranded on the roads in the cold winter conditions, with many families split up, unwittingly ending up on different sides of the blockade. People with serious health problems are deprived of medicines and healthcare services. The supplies of food and other essential goods have been disrupted. 120 thousand people in blockade have in fact ended up in the status of hostage. [Natural] gas-heated schools and kindergartens [in Artsakh] have been forced to stop working, as a result of which around 22 thousand children have been deprived of the right to education.
The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be called anything other than a humanitarian crisis. That crisis arose as a result of Azerbaijan’s failure to fulfill its international obligations.
The closure of the Lachin Corridor is a direct and gross violation by Azerbaijan of the statement of November 9, 2020 on the simple grounds that according to paragraph 6 of that statement, the Lachin Corridor is under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, and Azerbaijan guarantees the security of passage of people, vehicles, and cargo traffic through the Lachin Corridor,” said Pashinyan, reminding that Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev’s signature is also under that statement.
According to the Armenian PM, Azerbaijan’s violations of that statement are chronic.
“Azerbaijan’s continued claims that Nagorno-Karabakh does not exist is also a gross violation of the tripartite statement,” Pashinyan added, in particular.
Also, he cited a wording in this statement where it is noted that the refugees are returning to the Karabakh territory.
“This wording means that there is Nagorno Karabakh, it has a territory. By saying that Nagorno-Karabakh does not exist, Azerbaijan, in fact, declares that the refugees have no place to return, which is a gross violation of humanitarian law,” said the Armenian PM.