Azerbaijan continues its policy of threats and genocide against Armenians by cutting electricity and gas and setting up an illegal checkpoint in the Lachin corridor, Artsakh’s Foreign Minister Sergey Ghazaryan said in an interview with Ouest-France.
He reminded that since June 15, it has permanently blocked the only road that connects Artsakh to Armenia. “Nothing gets through, neither people, nor food, nor medicine, nor basic necessities.”
The Foreign Minister said the blockade has separated families. “Hospitals can no longer function normally. Farmers can no longer work in their fields because of the lack of fuel. Moreover, the Azerbaijani armed forces regularly target the farmers to prevent any economic activity in Artsakh and aggravate the famine there. This is a humanitarian disaster,” he noted.
“Our reserves are exhausted. We only have flour and bread left for a few days only. One in three deaths in Artsakh is caused by hunger and malnutrition. So one can imagine what will happen if the blockade is not lifted. We must act immediately otherwise it will be too late,” Ghazaryan said.
“We need political will on the part of heads of state and the UN. The international community can and has an obligation to prevent genocide. The relevant international institutions have all the information about what is happening in Artsakh. They must objectively assess the situation. The United Nations Security Council can adopt a resolution asking Azerbaijan to lift this blockade. International Organizations should apply sanctions against those responsible for this blockade and send humanitarian aid using all possible means: airlifting, sending an international protection force to the Lachin corridor. We address the free and humanist world in the name of respect for human rights and the rights of peoples,” Artsakh’s Foreign Minister stated.
