16:15, 31 July 2023
YEREVAN, JULY 31, ARMENPRESS. A group of demonstrators in Yerevan has collected humanitarian aid for Nagorno-Karabakh and rallied outside the UN Armenia office Monday asking the organization to deliver it.
The demonstrators have launched a movement called Opening Initiative, aimed at lifting the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The initiative has three goals.
“First is the opening of Lachin Corridor, second to ensure the security, the unimpeded and indefinite use of the corridor, through which cargo shipments between Armenia and Artsakh will take place. Third, we are struggling for the rights of our countrymen of Artsakh, who are on the verge of a humanitarian disaster. By gathering here every day, we are showing that we stand with Artsakh 24/7,” said Narek Ayvazyan, a member of the Opening Initiative.
He said they’ve collected humanitarian goods which they are asking the UN to deliver through Lachin Corridor to Nagorno-Karabakh. The goods were collected since July 19th, and ten tons of goods have been collected so far. Ayvazyan said that the UN office is inquiring about the humanitarian cargo every day and the information is being relayed to the UN headquarters.
On July 31, the demonstrators blocked the entrance of the UN Armenia office for one hour in protest. “In this dreadful situation, we have hope that the more influential organizations such as the UN can impact the situation,” Ayvazyan added.
“The entire purpose of our civic pressure is that aside from being aware they should act,” said another member of the organization, pointing out the numerous conventions and declarations of the UN that ought to protect human rights everywhere around the world.
The demonstrators said their initiative is a movement aimed at generating an agenda of launching international mechanisms. If a single UN vehicle carrying aid were to enter Artsakh via Lachin Corridor it would become a precedent for the corridor to function properly, the demonstrators said.
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.