Members of the Armenian National Committee of Canada discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) with Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly on Sunday, August 20.

“The situation in Artsakh is dire and therefore, decisive action must be taken to ensure the safety, security and self-determination of the population,” ANCC said in a short statement.

“These were the topics we discussed with Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Mélanie Joly yesterday in Montreal, where we presented several policy recommendations that Canada can put into action and help break the disastrous #ArtsakhBlockade.”

Since December 12, 2022, the sole road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia - the Lachin Corridor - has been blocked by Azerbaijan. Baku tightened the blockade on June 15, 2023, banning emergency relief supplies that were carried out by Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross through the sole road connecting Karabakh to Armenia and the outside world. The move aggravated the shortages of food, medicine and other essential items experienced by the region’s population. On August 15, Karabakh Human Rights Defender’s office reported the first case of death from starvation.