President Harutyunyan declares Artsakh disaster zone

YEREVAN, July 25. /ARKA/. Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) President Arayik Harutyunyan has declared Artsakh a disaster zone, saying Artsakh would turn into a concentration camp if there was no urgent international intervention and support.

"Taking into account the current grave situation and the growing threats to the physical existence of our people, today I declare Artsakh a disaster zone, expecting an urgent international response and political and humanitarian support from the international community in collective and individual form," Harutyunyan said at a press conference in Artsakh capital Stepanakert.

He pointed out that Artsakh is now the only territory in the world that is in complete isolation and siege, without any humanitarian aid and international presence.

"Even if there is no urgent international support after Artsakh is declared a disaster zone, it can be safely considered a concentration camp with all the consequences," Harutyunyan said.

The Lachin corridor has been blocked by Azerbaijanis since December 12 last year. Some 120,000 people in Nagorno-Karabakh are facing a humanitarian crisis, including 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly people and about 9,000 people with disabilities.

Earlier Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev said that 'Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh must either adopt Azerbaijani citizenship or look for another place of residence.'

On April 23, Azerbaijan established a checkpoint in the Lachin corridor, which is the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world. Armenian authorities called repeatedly on Russian peacekeeping contingent to take action to remove the checkpoint, however, no action followed.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry said that Armenia expects that the international community will use all available tools to ensure the implementation of the legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice of February 22 and July 6, 2023 on the opening of the Lachin corridor.-0-