Five UN Special Procedure Mandate Holders urge Baku to unblock Karabakh

PanARMENIAN.Net - On April 3, five UN Special Procedure Mandate Holders published a communication where they appealed to the Government of Azerbaijan to take urgent action to ensure the freedom and security of movement through the Lachine Corridor, Permanent Mission of Armenia to the UN office reports.

The UN human rights experts stated, in particular, that the Lachin Corridor is the only transport link that connects Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the outside world and is of a great humanitarian importance. The blockade has disrupted the delivery of food, medicine, fuel and other essential goods to around 120,000 people living in Nagorno-Karabakh. The humanitarian situation aggravated due to periodic interruptions of gas supply, which undermined the functioning of medical institutions. Educational institutions have also been unable to operate and had stopped their activities.

The Special Procedure Mandate Holders expressed serious concern that the prolonged blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to the outside world can lead to dire humanitarian consequences on the population and violate their rights.

The communication was dispatched by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food; the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities; the Special Rapporteur on the right to education; the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; and the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons.

Since December 12, the sole road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia - the Lachin Corridor - has been blocked by self-described Azerbaijani environmentalists. Karabakh residents have reported food and fuel shortages, while hospital patients don't have access to essential medicines, with only a handful allowed transfer to facilities in Armenia proper.