By Sean Mueck
After a brief but violent week, the streets of Stepanakert were nearly completely empty. A stark reminder of the violent history of the region.
About 120,000 ethnic Armenians have fled the Nagorno-Karabakh region over the past two weeks. This comes after the Azerbaijani military launched a blitz counter offensive into the region.
The Republic of Artsakh which controls the Nagorno-Karabakh region is part of Azerbaijan but has enjoyed de facto independence since 1994. Azerbaijan and their allies consider the region a separatist group while Armenia considers the region a legitimate government.
The Azerbaijan military regained the territory in an offensive which lasted 24 hours. A ceasefire has been signed between Azerbaijan and the separatist military. The Ex-President of The Republic of Artsakh Samvel Shakhramanyan has signed a decree stating the Republic will cease to exist on January 1, 2024. Azerbaijani officials have arrested multiple members linked with the Nagorno-Karabakh government on sentences linked with waging war.
The lightning military takeover has launched Armenia into a severe humanitarian crisis. Traffic has gridlocked around the Lachin Corridor, which is the only road connecting Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan has stated that any remaining residents will be able to apply for Azerbaijani citizenship. The government has pledged that the rights of the Ethnic Armenians will be protected. This has not stopped nearly the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh, which has fled to Armenia.
Armenia’s prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan stated, “This is a direct act of an ethnic cleansing and depriving people of their motherland, exactly what we’ve been telling the international community about.”
Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry stated they “strongly” reject the claims from Pashinyan. The foreign ministry then went on to state “Pashinyan knows well enough that the current departure of Armenians from Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region is their personal and individual decision and has nothing to do with forced relocation.” They also said, “With this alarming narrative, the Armenian prime minister is seeking to disrupt Azerbaijan’s efforts to provide humanitarian assistance and the reintegration process, and also undermines possible prospects for peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”
Azerbaijan has sent 30 buses to Nagorno-Karabakh to help aid residents who do not have access to a car. Armenia has sent 40 of their own buses to help transport Karabakh residents as well. The last bus carrying 15 passengers with serious mobility and health issues arrived in Armenia October 2nd according to Gegham Stepanyan, “who is a human rights ombudsman for the former breakaway region that Azerbaijan calls Karabakh.”
The Red Cross has been deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh and has begun working to look for residents who were not able to leave. ICRC spokesman Marco Succi said only a few hundred people remained and that Azerbajiani police were on the streets.
Many residents of the region who were stuck in multi day long traffic found themselves out of food and water. The Red Cross has given out aid to assist those who are fleeing to Armenia. Civilians who had extra supplies helped each other as well.
Armenia has set up two humanitarian centers in the cities of Goris and Vayk to aid residents fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh. The government has provided housing accommodations for anyone in need of assistance. This is an ongoing situation.
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