Asmaryan eats potatoes for every meal. He lives with 120,000 other ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave in Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus. They are cut off from Armenia by the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor, the only road in or out of Nagorno-Karabakh. They are under siege, with little food, essential medicines, hygiene products, baby formula, or fuel. Residents believe Azerbaijan wants to starve them into submission so that if or when the road reopens, they leave. It is a slow-motion genocide, with hunger the weapon. Asmaryan said outsiders don’t care about Karabakh as they have no natural resources: ‘They talk about human rights but do nothing.’ However, the Archbishop of London’s Coptic Orthodox Church, the Primate of the Armenian Church of the UK, the Bishop of Southwark, and other church leaders have written an open letter to Rishi Sunak urging immediate action to open the Lachin Corridor and prevent genocide. Also, Armenians will demonstrate in Yerevan on 2 September to express unity with Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia: Nagorno-Karabakh blockade continues
Written by David Fletcher 31 Aug 2023Additional Info
- Pray: for the UK and other nations to negotiate with Azerbaijan to open the blockade and end the dispute between the two countries. (Psalm 34:14)
- More: www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/22/inside-nagorno-karabakh-blockade-armenia-azerbaijand