We, the UCLA Promise Armenian Institute family, express our continued horror and outrage at the humanitarian crisis that was triggered on December 12, 2022 by the blockage of the sole mountain road linking Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia by Azerbaijani activists.
This blockade of the transport of essential food, medicine and supplies, in addition to disruptions of natural gas and electricity, is inflicting collective harm on 120,000 innocent civilians. This has created a crisis that could well escalate to conflict and ethnic cleansing. We call on the international community to organize a humanitarian intervention immediately, before it is too late, and to pressure Azerbaijan to end this illegal blockade.
Ann Karagozian
Director, The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA
Distinguished Professor, UCLA Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Relevant Links and Updates:
USC Global Policy Institute: Azerbaijan’s illegal closure of the Lachin corridor is a precursor to the last stage of ethnic cleansing (December 14, 2022)
Forbes: With The Lachin Corridor Blockage, Nagorno-Karabakh Close To A Humanitarian Catastrophe (December 29, 2022)
Time Magazine: The Humanitarian Crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh Is a Textbook Example of Ethnic Cleansing (January 12, 2023)
The New York Times: Renewed Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Underlines Russia’s Waning Influence (January 17, 2023)
Politico: EU moves onto Putin’s turf with new Armenia monitoring mission (January 18, 2023)
Newsweek: You Cannot Erase Us: Opinion piece by Cher and Dr. Eric Esrailian (January 25, 2023)
Reuters: Armenia tells World Court Azerbaijan blockade is 'ethnic cleansing' (Jan 30, 2023)
Los Angeles Times: Op-Ed: We can’t let history repeat itself with the siege of Nagorno-Karabakh (Jan 31, 2023)
The Armenian Society of Fellows Statement on Artsakh (Jan 31, 2023)