The UN Security Council discussed Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor during a session on Dec. 20

Armenia on Friday appealed to the United Nations Security Council requesting it to convene an emergency session to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Artsakh that has been caused due to Azerbaijan’s now eight-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the Armenian foreign ministry reported.

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan welcomed Yerevan’s appeal saying that it is important for the international body to be aware of the impeding genocide against the people of Artsakh.

“It is commendable that, having taken into account the calls by the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh, among others, the Republic of Armenia sent a letter to the President of the UN Security Council to convene an emergency meeting of the Security Council regarding the deterioration of the humanitarian situation resulting from the total blockade inflicted upon the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. It’s important that the letter officially underscores, among others, the goal of genocide prevention,” Harutyunyan said, lauding also the recently released statement by a group of UN experts calling on the Azeri government to lift the blockade.
Harutyunyan added that his latest urgent appeal to the international community, and the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo’s expert opinion concluding that the blockade constitutes genocide, were widely covered by the international media and raised awareness.

The Nagorno-Karabakh president also welcomed the statement by genocide scholars calling for immediate UN intervention.

“Of course, statements have been made by other international organizations and countries as well, with a visibly increasing perception of the urgent need to take effective international actions. Certainly, time is of the essence for our people, and the delays cause death and suffering,” Harutyunyan added.

Mher Margaryan, Armenia’s Permanent Representative the UN, in a letter addressed to the President of the UN Security Council highlighting that as a result of Azerbaijan’s actions “people of Nagorno-Karabakh are on the verge of a full-fledged humanitarian catastrophe.”

“These actions of Azerbaijan constitute a flagrant violation not only of the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020 but also of international humanitarian law and are in direct breach of the Orders issued by the International Court of Justice on February 22 and July 6, 2023, according to which Azerbaijan should ‘take all measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions,’” Margaryan said in his letter.

“Deliberately creating unbearable conditions for the population is nothing more than an act of mass atrocity targeting the indigenous people of Nagorno-Karabakh and forcing them to leave their homes and homeland. Such an infliction of collective punishment upon the people of Nagorno-Karabakh constitutes an existential threat to them should they be left alone vis-a-vis the Azerbaijani aggressive policy,” the letter added.

“Under current circumstances, the Government of Armenia is requesting the intervention of the UN Security Council as a principal body of safeguarding global security and preventing mass atrocities including war crimes, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and genocide,” said Margaryan, calling for Armenia’s participation if and when such a Security Council session is called.