YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. The humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh has extremely escalated in recent days, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during today’s Cabinet meeting.

“Azerbaijan firstly blocked the Lachin Corridor, then cut off the gas supply to Nagorno Karabakh. Due to these provocative actions the residents of Nagorno Karabakh have been deprived of the right to free movement, are facing difficulties of heating their homes in winter conditions, thousands of people, including children, are stranded on roads in cold winter, many families have unwillingly separated, appearing in different sides of the blockade.

Citizens having serious health problems are deprived of medicines and healthcare services. There are disruptions in the supplies of food and other essentials. 120,000 people have actually appeared in the status of a hostage.

Gas-heated schools and kindergartens were forced to suspend their operations, as a result of which around 22,000 children have been deprived of the right to education”, the PM said.

Pashinyan called the situation in Nagorno Karabakh a humanitarian crisis.

“Moreover, this crisis was caused as a result of Azerbaijan’s non-fulfillment of its international commitments. As it has been stated repeatedly, the closure of the Lachin Corridor is a direct and gross violation of the trilateral statement of 9 November 2020 by Azerbaijan, on the simple grounds that according to point 6^th of that statement, the Lachin Corridor is under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh, and the Republic of Azerbaijan guarantees the traffic safety of citizens, vehicles and goods along the Lachin Corridor. This is a direct quote from the November 9 statement, and that statement is a document which has the signature of the President of Azerbaijan”, the PM said.