Armenia called on Saturday August 12 for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in the face of the “deterioration of the humanitarian situation” in Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave facing a blockade by Azerbaijan for months. The Lachin corridor, the only land link between Armenia and Karabakh, was initially obstructed by Azerbaijanis posing as environmental protesters, before Baku set up a roadblock on July 11 at the entrance to this road in citing security reasons.
Armenia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mher Margaryan, reported in a letter to the Security Council that “serious shortage” of food, medicine and fuel in this region populated mainly by Armenians. He also spoke of cuts in the supply of electricity and gas in this enclave that Baku and Yerevan have been fighting over for decades.
“Unbearable living conditions”
“This situation has led to an increase in mortality from several diseases”especially for residents suffering from diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, continued Mr. Margaryan. “The population of Nagorno-Karabakh is today on the verge of a real humanitarian catastrophe”he was alarmed.
He accused Azerbaijan of “deliberately creating unbearable living conditions for the population” of the enclave, a “mass atrocity act” designed to force people out of their homes. “The Armenian government calls for the intervention of the United Nations Security Council as the main body for safeguarding global security”added Mher Margaryan.
The two Caucasian countries have been fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh since the late 1980s, resulting in two wars, the last of which, in 2020, saw the defeat of Armenian forces and significant territorial gains for Azerbaijan. This mountainous territory is mainly populated by Armenians but recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan.