Tuesday, August 8 2023 11:09

ArmInfo.A group of UN experts today expressed alarm over the ongoing blockade of the Lachin  corridor by Azerbaijan, which has led to a dire humanitarian crisis in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The blockade, obstructing the sole road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh  to Armenia for the past seven months, has left the population facing  acute shortages of food staples, medication, and hygiene products,  impacted the functioning of medical and educational institutions, and  placed the lives of the residents - especially children, persons with  disabilities, older persons, pregnant women, and the sick - at  significant risk.

"The blockade of the Lachin Corridor is a humanitarian emergency that  has created severe shortages of essential food staples including  sunflower oil, fish, chicken, dairy products, cereal, sugar and baby  formula," the experts said.

They warned that the region was rapidly depleting its medical  reserves, and hospitals were struggling to provide care as the  operation of ambulances has been hampered due to declining fuel  supplies.

The experts urged authorities in Azerbaijan to immediately restore  the free and secure movement of persons, vehicles, and cargo moving  along the Lachin corridor in both directions, in accordance with the  ceasefire agreement of November 2020.

They also called on Russian peacekeeping forces deployed in the  region, to protect the corridor under the terms of the ceasefire  agreement.

"By lifting the blockade, the authorities can alleviate the suffering  of thousands of people in Nagorno- Karabakh and allow for the  unimpeded flow of humanitarian assistance to the civilian  population," the experts said. "It is essential to ensure the safety,  dignity, and well-being of all individuals during this critical  time," they said.

"We urge the Government of Azerbaijan to uphold its international  obligations to respect and protect human rights, including the right  to food, health, education and life. We also emphasise the importance  of cooperation and dialogue among all parties involved to find a  peaceful and sustainable resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh  conflict," the experts said.

The experts have already expressed similar concerns to the  Governments of Azerbaijan and Russia, in February 2023 (JUA AZE  1/2023 and JUA RUS 1/2023), and the government of Azerbaijan has  responded to the concerns raised (AZE 1/2023)

The experts: Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to  food; Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education;  Claudia Mahler, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human  rights by older persons; Gerard Quinn, Special Rapporteur on the  rights of persons with disabilities; 

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special  Procedures of the Human Rights Council.  Comprising the largest body  of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, Special  Procedures is the general name of the Council's independent  fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific  country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world.  Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN  staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are  independent from any government or organization and serve in their  individual capacity.