SW News: The director of operations and advocacy for humanitarian efforts of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has made it clear that the United Nations was not able to scrutinize information regarding the movement of people and commodities along the Lachin Corridor connecting Armenia with the region of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan inhabited by Christian Armenians. Since December last year, Azerbaijan troops are stationed at the corridor sealing it off from Armenia, thereby making it impossible to transport food, medicines, fuel and other essential supplies.

Director of Operations Edem Wosornu said OCHA was well aware of the reports of the shortage of food supplies and the disruption of power in Nagorno-Karabakh. The International Committee of the Red Cross has said that among global organizations, it is the only one permitted to travel to Nagorno Karabakh. But for several weeks, the Red Cross has not been able to send medical supplies through the Lachin Corridor.

However, Wosornu added that the Red Cross volunteers are allowed to conduct medical evacuations although the delivery food stopped on June 14 and medical supplies came to a halt on July 7. According to her, “International Humanitarian Law is very clear: parties must allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for all civilians in need.”

Wosornu added that everyone should ensure that those providing humanitarian assistance have the liberty to move wherever they wish to undertake their functions. “What matters is that passage is as rapid as possible under the circumstances.” The director of operations said that ICRC was doing everything possible it could “but as a single organization it can only cover the most urgent needs”, calling for other “impartial humanitarian relief” to be permitted.

It was more than three decades ago that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan began. After yet another flare-up in 2020, there was a ceasefire in November, which was declared by the Azeri president and the prime minister of Armenia in the presence of the Russian president.