Armenia PM: Karabakh facing humanitarian crisis

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenians are facing a humanitarian crisis in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a meeting with the heads of foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Armenia on Monday, October 12.

"The hostilities and their nature once again have demonstrated that the Armenian people, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are facing an existential threat, and the policy of shelling towns and villages in Nagorno-Karabakh comes from the hate policy which has been promoted in Azerbaijan in the past 15 years," Pashinyan said.

"It becomes obvious that Azerbaijan’s official political objective is to annihilate the Armenians, at least in Nagorno-Karabakh. Essentially, in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, we are very close to a humanitarian crisis or perhaps we are already facing a humanitarian crisis. Our assessment is that this humanitarian crisis can be prevented in only one effective way: if the international community officially acknowledges the aforementioned facts and eventually recognizes the right of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to self-determination, to the point of even recognizing the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh."

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey and mercenaries deployed by Ankara, launched a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. International and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages, as well as the iconic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi. Before a humanitarian ceasefire could begin on October 10, Azerbaijan launched a new offensive and struck settlements both in Karabakh and Armenia.

Donations can be made to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, which has launched a fundraising campaign to support Karabakh amid Azerbaijan's aggression.