The World Medical Association has called for urgent action to help thousands of civilians caught up in the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh.

The crisis follows the blockade of the Lachin corridor connecting Artsakh with Armenia, which has resulted in more than 120,000 civilians being cut off from any medical care. As a consequence, thousands of people in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic cannot receive food and medical care, and patients in the area cannot be taken to a hospital in Yerevan.

"Patients are at risk of dying because they cannot get their medicines and cannot get to hospital. We urge the Azerbaijan Government to ensure safe access through  the Lachine Corridor immediately to avoid this humanitarian crisis getting worse. This is a critical route for the delivery of vital food and medical supplies," said WMA Council Chairman Dr. Frank Ulrich Montgomery.