The blockade of the Artsakh Republic and its 120-thousand population that has been continuing for a month by Azerbaijan is the largest-scale attack on the people of Artsakh since the end of the 44-day war, the Artsakh Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"On December 12, 2022, the Azerbaijani authorities, in flagrant violation of the provisions of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, blocked the Lachin corridor connecting Artsakh with Armenia and the outside world.

As a result, the lack of basic necessities, medicine, food and fuel is worsening day by day in the republic. In order to intensify the destructive effect of the blockade Azerbaijan cut off gas supply to Artsakh, which was coming from Armenia through the territory occupied by Azerbaijan. Subsequently, the gas supply was restored, but on 9 January 2023 electricity from Armenia was cut off due to a breakdown of the only high-voltage line from Goris to Stepanakert, which also passes through Azerbaijani occupied territory. Up to this day, Azerbaijan has deliberately obstructed the emergency recovery work, which demonstrates the premeditated nature of its actions. Azerbaijan's actions have thus placed Artsakh, with its 120,000-strong population, on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Blockade of Artsakh is a direct continuation of the military aggression against the Republic of Artsakh and its people, unleashed by Azerbaijan in 2020 with the direct involvement of Turkey and terrorist organizations from the Middle East. Having failed to expel the people of Artsakh from their homeland by military means, Azerbaijan, more than two years after the ceasefire, continues to make successive attempts to achieve its criminal goals by less obvious, but no less inhumane methods.

The combination of the steps taken by Azerbaijan and the official statements of its high leadership, revealing Baku's real intentions, indicates that the blockade of the Republic of Artsakh is yet another tool in the policy of Azerbaijan aimed at the annihilation of the people of Artsakh. By intentionally creating unbearable living conditions, Azerbaijan pursues the goal of destroying the community and unity of the people of Artsakh by forcing them to alienate themselves from their historic homeland and to refuse to realize their collective rights. Azerbaijan's actions are undoubtedly a continuation of its genocidal policy.

We urge the community of states, acting both individually and through international organizations, to take all necessary measures to immediately prevent the genocidal activities that Azerbaijan is systematically perpetrating against the people of Artsakh, in an atmosphere of total impunity, pursuant to the universal commitment to the protection of human rights and the prevention of genocide crimes.

The international community has all the necessary tools and every legal basis to interfere in the situation in Artsakh, which is worsening day by day. In the conditions of an imminent disaster the inaction of the international community is unacceptable, also because it is seen by the Azerbaijani authorities as a tacit encouragement of their criminal actions," the statement says.