The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect has reflected on the current humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh as a result of Azerbaijan's ongoing illegal blocking of the Lachin corridor.

The center's latest Atrocity Alert notes that for more than seven months Azerbaijani authorities have blockaded the Lachin corridor, the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, precipitating a humanitarian crisis.

“The blockade has deprived over 120,000 ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh, including 30,000 children, of life-saving resources such as food, medicine, electricity and fuel. On 28 July Armenian authorities accused Azerbaijan of denying transport of over 400 tons of humanitarian aid into Nagorno-Karabakh. In a statement issued on 25 July the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that despite persistent efforts, ‘the last time the ICRC was allowed to bring medical items and essential food items into the area was several weeks ago,’” the aforesaid center added. 

“Azerbaijani authorities must immediately lift the blockade of the Lachin corridor and allow for unhindered and safe passage of civilians and goods along the corridor, as well as guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access in line with international law and the order by the ICJ. States must engage in further dialogue with all parties, as well as support calls from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to establish an independent fact-finding mission to assess the humanitarian situation,” the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect concluded. 

Ani Badalyan, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, reacted to this statement from the aforementioned center.

The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect has recorded that Azerbaijan's blocking of the Lachin corridor puts thousands of people at risk in Nagorno-Karabakh, Badalyan wrote on X (former Twitter).