Several European officials have sounded the alarm on the worsening humanitarian situation in Artsakh and have vowed to personally travel to the Lachin Corridor to personally address and ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the residents of Artsakh.
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović on Monday again called for the restoration of free movement along the Lachin Corridor and confirmed readiness to travel to Artsakh to assist in overcoming the existing human rights challenges.
“I remain seriously concerned about the humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the human rights of its population following the blocking of the road running through the Lachin Corridor since December 2022. I reiterate the call I made at that time to restore free movement along that road,” Mijatović said.
“Despite my calls and those of numerous other international stakeholders, the humanitarian and human rights situation in the area has reportedly further deteriorated, affecting particularly the most vulnerable, due to the prolonged disruption in the movement of people and access to food supplies and urgent medical care. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which is for the moment the only international humanitarian organization operating across the Lachin Corridor, indicated that the population was facing a lack of life-saving medication and essentials,” she added.
“The relevant stakeholders should immediately find a solution to avoid any further deterioration of the very dangerous situation the local population is facing and guarantee safe and free passage to those providing humanitarian assistance and those ensuring human rights protection,” Mijatović said.
“I confirm my commitment and readiness to engage with all the relevant interlocutors and to travel to Nagorno Karabakh to assist in overcoming the existing human rights challenges,” Mijatović added in her statement.
Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Impact Investing Solutions said Monday that Prince Michael of Liechtenstein, has expressed readiness to “lead a humanitarian airlift to besieged Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) and to be on board the flight to the region, bringing much-needed food and medication arranged by the Aznavour Foundation.
“We from Impact Investing Solutions from Switzerland, who is partnering in facilitating this humanitarian mission, together with H.S.H. Prince Michael, other world leaders, current and former heads of state are also ready to lead necessary airlifts to Nagorno-Karabakh, where 120,000 people, including 30,000 children, have been deprived of food and medication for more than 8 months already,” Impact Investing Solutions said in a statement.
A call to organize a humanitarian airlift to Nagorno-Karabakh was first made in December 2022 by a group of global humanitarian leaders, including Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Bernard Kouchner, former French Foreign Minister and former Minister of Health, Paul Polman, climate and equalities campaigner; former CEO of Unilever; Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland; Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico and many more human rights defenders and peace activists.
“An international humanitarian airlift is being organized, delivering food and other essentials to the local population and evacuating those whose life is endangered to safety. Among these are several patients of the Republican Medical Center in Stepanakert in grave conditions requiring urgent medical care that cannot be adequately provided because of the blockade. In the meantime, while the road remains blocked, the humanitarian airlift should help the local population to survive and sustain. There already is an operational airport in Stepanakert, which can be used for this purpose. This will not require any additional efforts on the side of the international community except for those necessary to maintain the airlift and ensure its safety. Currently, there is a call to World Food Programme (WFP) and the Red Cross to organize the flight in the nearest days, and H.S.H. Prince Michael of Liechtenstein is ready to lead the first humanitarian mission,” the statement said.
“Let’s rally together to bring aid and relief to Nagorno-Karabakh,” the organization added.