BREAKING
UN Security Council Holds Emergency Meeting on Nagorno-Karabakh: Crucial to have ‘Unimpeded Passage’ of Aid through Lachin Corridor
The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on August 16 following Armenia’s request.
A senior UN official told the UN Security Council that the delivery of humanitarian relief to Nagorno Karabakh by the ICRC must be allowed to resume through any available routes.
Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union Silvio Gonzato said while Baku has expressed its readiness to supply goods via the city of Aghdam, this should not be seen as an alternative to reopening the Corridor.
Armenia’s Foreign Ministry Ararat Mirzoyan quoted a report from Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, saying “there is a reasonable basis to believe that a genocide is being committed” as a result of the blockade.
Most Council members denounced the humanitarian blackmail by the Azerbaijani government.
Remarks by U.S. Representative to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield
“We urge the government of Azerbaijan to restore free movement through the corridor – so commercial, humanitarian, and private vehicles can reach the population of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
-Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Representative to the United Nations
Another Armenian Soldier Killed in Azerbaijan’s Latest Attack on Armenia
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Nagorno-Karabakh Citizen Dies of Hunger
K. Hovhannisyan, a 40-year-old resident of Stepanakert, died as a result of chronic malnutrition and protein deficiency, states a report conducted by the human rights office.
NAGORNO-KARABAKH UNDER SIEGE
- In the past week, Azerbaijan has violated the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh over 6 times, including instances of targeting civilians and civilian objects in the village of Sarushen.
- Armenian humanitarian aid convoy for Nagorno-Karabakh remains blocked by Azerbaijan for more than 4 weeks.
Senators Call for U.S.-Backed UNSC Resolution Demanding End of Blockade, Unfettered Humanitarian Access to Nagorno-Karabakh
U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) sent a letter to United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield urging her to introduce a resolution calling for an immediate end to Azerbaijan’s eight-month blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, including allowing unfettered humanitarian access to Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“In your capacity as the President of the UN Security Council for August 2023, we ask that you work with all UNSC members to pressure the Azerbaijani government to lift the blockade and prevent what the evidence suggests is a coordinated effort to ethnically cleanse the people of Nagorno Karabakh,” continued the Senators.
Pregnant Woman Suffers Miscarriage in Blockaded Nagorno-Karabakh Because Ambulance was Unavailable due to Fuel Shortages
Congressman Adam Schiff Urges Biden to Personally Call Aliyev to End Blockade, Assess Options for U.S. Aid to Nagorno-Karabakh
Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) sent a letter to President Biden urging him to address the ongoing situation in Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijan continues to launch attacks and administer a blockade of the Lachin Corridor, creating a human rights crisis in the region.
The letter urges the President to take action by:
- Convening an emergency session of the UN Security Council.
- Leading a UN Security Council resolution calling on Azerbaijan to immediately comply with the orders of the International Court of Justice as well as an independent report on the human rights and humanitarian situation.
- Directing USAID and the Department of Defense to assess options for the United States to assist in the delivery of aid to Artsakh.
- Calling Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev and urging him to lift the blockade.
Ambassador Sam Brownback Urges Swift Action: Protecting Nagorno-Karabakh People, Leveraging U.S. Influence, and Addressing Turkey’s Role
In a recent interview on ‘Washington Watch with Tony Perkins,’ Ambassador Sam Brownback stressed the pressing need to address the humanitarian situation affecting Christian Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. He pointed out the significance of Section 907 sanctions and called for unified action to halt weapon shipments to both Turkey and Azerbaijan. Ambassador Brownback also underscored the importance of addressing Turkey’s involvement and taking a firm stance against their actions.
To Watch Sam Brownback’s Full Interview Click Here
CNN: ‘Reasonable’ to Believe Genocide Against Armenians being Committed, Former ICC Chief Prosecutor Says
The Guardian: ‘They Want Us to Die in the Streets’. Inside the Nagorno-Karabakh Blockade
“Asmaryan took the Guardian on an afternoon video tour of Stepanakert, the capital of what Armenians call the republic of Artsakh. The Z-supermarket was locked up, its shelves empty. The market and Nostalgia shop were shut too. One store was open. But its cabinets were out of stock, with nothing to buy apart from a toy car. “They will not be satisfied until we die in the streets,” he said.
This month, the former international criminal court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo described the blockade as potentially constituting a “genocide” of Karabakh Armenians and intending “to starve” them.”
The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention: Active Genocide Alert as Ongoing Blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh Imperils Lives
ICRC: No Food or Medicine for Nagorno-Karabakh, Last Delivery Dated June 14 and July 7
Reuters: Nagorno-Karabakh Residents Say ‘Disastrous’ Blockade Choking Supplies
The Telegraph: ‘It is Like a Concentration Camp’. The Forgotten Crisis on Europe’s Doorstep
“A blockade has been imposed on the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, limiting the flow of vital supplies and threatening 120,000 lives.
“If this continues, people will end up dying,” the 23-year-old says over the phone, before correcting herself: “People are already dying.”
ABC News: Pressure Mounts on U.S., Others to Stop Azerbaijan’s Blockade as Expert Warns of Genocide
Photos of the week
In Blockaded Nagorno-Karabakh, a child braves water shortages to carry home a bowl of water.
Photo courtesy of Marut Vanyan.
Azerbaijan Accused Of Disrupting Internet Access In Nagorno-Karabakh
Building a Robust Coalition: European Parliament Member Urges Collaborative Action to Prevent Full Azerbaijani Invasion in Nagorno-Karabakh
OSCE Chairman-in-Office Reiterates His Call, Asks Personal Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk to Visit Lachin Area
SECURITY
In the past week, Azerbaijan has violated the ceasefire in Armenia over 9 times, including instances of
opening fire at “Syunik” airport and killing an Armenian soldier.
EU Border Monitoring Mission In Armenia Confirms Gunfire In Area Of One Of Its Patrols
The European Union’s border monitoring mission in Armenia on August 15 confirmed that there had been gunfire in the area of one of its patrols along the border with Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan Military Assistance Waiver Delayed as Review Drags On
“The Biden administration appears to be slow-walking the renewal of a long-standing military assistance program to Azerbaijan amid growing warnings of ethnic cleansing in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Radio Free Europe Replaced Dismissed Staff with Journalists Linked to Azerbaijani Dictatorship
ECONOMY
U.S. Ambassador and Jermuk Mayor Visit Amulsar Mining Project, Highlighting Largest U.S. Investment in Armenia’s Growth
Read More Here
OPINION
Is Nagorno-Karabakh the New Darfur?
“It is time instead for USAID to send trucks flying the American flag to the Lachin corridor under the observation of US diplomats stationed in both Armenia and Azerbaijan. If Azerbaijan impedes diplomats’ movement, it is time to send its ambassador home. If it refuses to allow the flow of relief supplies or, worse, threatens to kill Western observers as Azerbaijan’s ambassador in Brussels recently did, then it is time for sanctions. There is no shortage of options. Biden can put an end to the Section 907 waiver, enforce of the Humanitarian Assistance Corridors Act, designate under the Magnitsky Act, and even support Aliyev’s indictment under the Genocide Convention.”
Pressure Mounts on U.S., Others to Stop Azerbaijan’s Blockade as Expert Warns of Genocide
The Washington Post: Armenians See a New Genocide Taking Place. Azerbaijan Sees Propaganda
“The idea of genocide is not just about killing, but about removing people from the land,” Moreno Ocampo told me during a phone call this week.”