SW News: With Azerbaijan troops continuing to block the checkpoint on the Lachin Highway for more than two months, the flow of essential items from Armenia into the contested enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh inhabited by 120,000 Armenian Christians has been stopped. The blockade of food supplies and other essential items including gas and electricity have put the lives of Armenians across the border in peril. With absolutely no food entering the province for two months, infant mortality has spiraled and the whole population is under the shadow of starvation.

As 90 percent of essential supplies come from Armenia, the blockade has reduced agricultural activity in Nagorno-Karabakh by 80 percent and 90 percent of women suffer from anemia. The lack of medicines and surgical equipment has caused all surgical operations to be suspended in the enclave. Almost 80 percent of the population is grappling with rampant unemployment.
In spite of the declarations by the International Court of Justice in The Hague and Strasbourg’s European Court of Human Rights that the Lachin Corridor has to be opened to ensure free movement of people, vehicles and commodities.

Azerbaijan is justifying the closure of the corridor on July 11 by blaming the International Red Cross staff for smuggling gasoline and tobacco to Armenians in the enclave while arriving there to transfer patients from health centers. On the other hand, the Armenians allege that the Azeri allegation is a mere ruse to bring about rampant starvation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Although the hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been suspended after the war broke out in May 2021 when Baku troops invaded Armenian territories. The ongoing blockade and the pangs of hunger might drive the residents of the enclave to despair forcing yet another military intervention from Yerevan, triggering another war.

Meanwhile, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said, "As long as a peace treaty is not signed and ratified by the parliaments of both countries, a new war is obviously very likely.