YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS. The City of Paris and several French regions have allocated humanitarian aid for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

A truck carrying the French humanitarian aid joined the stranded Armenian convoy in Kornidzor on August 9. 

Vardan Sargsyan, a member of the Armenian government working group tasked with responding to the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, told reporters that this step by friendly France shows that international attention on the humanitarian crisis, and Armenia’s initiative to mitigate it is getting stronger.

“I think the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is so critical and the need for humanitarian aid is so strong that it is obvious also for our international partners. Effective steps by the international community can certainly contribute eventually lifting the blockade of Lachin Corridor, and giving access for humanitarian goods to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh,” Sargsyan said.

The humanitarian aid is allocated by the city of Paris and the regions of Île-de-France, Auvergne , Rhône-Alpes , Hauts-de-France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Pays de la Loire and Grand Est. 

The aid consists of over 20 tons of food.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations’ highest court – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - ordered Azerbaijan to “take all steps at its disposal” to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions.  Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. Moreover, Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. Hospitals have suspended normal operations.

On July 26, Armenia sent a humanitarian convoy carrying over 360 tons of emergency food and medication for Nagorno-Karabakh, but Azerbaijan blocked the trucks at the entrance of Lachin Corridor.