In a tense emergency meeting at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, Armenia and Azerbaijan engaged in a heated debate over the dire situation faced by an estimated 120,000 people in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The meeting was convened to address Armenia’s concerns about a humanitarian crisis resulting from what it alleges is a blockade imposed by Azerbaijan.
Armenia’s Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan, appealed to the Security Council, asserting that Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the sole route connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia since July 15, has resulted in severe shortages of food, medicine, and electricity. The Nagorno-Karabakh region, although part of Azerbaijan, has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces since the end of separatist fighting in 1994, backed by the Armenian military. A six-week war in 2020 led to Azerbaijan reclaiming control over surrounding territories, leaving the Lachin Corridor as the only link between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.
Numerous countries present at the meeting called on Azerbaijan to promptly reopen the Lachin Corridor, citing directives from the International Court of Justice. All 15 nations represented urged both Armenia and Azerbaijan to seek a diplomatic resolution to their long-standing conflict, which has spanned nearly three decades.
While the Security Council refrained from issuing an official statement, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who chaired the meeting, noted that there was a unanimous consensus among the council members that the Lachin Corridor must be reopened. She regarded this as the primary achievement of the meeting.
U.N. humanitarian coordinator Edem Wasornu reported to the council that the International Committee of the Red Cross, the sole international humanitarian organization with access to the region, had been unable to transport essential supplies through the Lachin Corridor since mid-June. Wasornu emphasized the importance of adhering to international humanitarian law, which necessitates the unhindered delivery of aid to those in need.
Mirzoyan underscored the dire consequences of the blockade, highlighting widespread unemployment, depleted stores, and long lines of vulnerable populations seeking basic necessities. He warned that the situation could rapidly devolve into a catastrophe and invoked the Security Council’s responsibility to prevent such a humanitarian disaster, urging it to act as a “genocide prevention body.”
Azerbaijan’s U.N. Ambassador, Yashar Aliyev, vehemently denied Armenia’s claims of a blockade and humanitarian crisis, categorically rejecting the allegations. He accused Armenia of engaging in provocative actions aimed at undermining Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Aliyev defended Azerbaijan’s decision to establish a border checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor to protect its interests and prevent unauthorized military activities by Armenia.
Aliyev challenged the genocide allegations, citing a report by British human rights lawyer Rodney Dixon that contradicted the claims. He presented images from social media purportedly showing celebratory events in Nagorno-Karabakh, aiming to counter the accusations of starvation and distress.
Both sides blamed each other for the lack of progress in diplomatic negotiations. The European Union’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Silvio Gonzato, stressed that humanitarian access should not be politicized and emphasized the urgency of reopening the Lachin Corridor to ensure the safety and well-being of the affected population.
