- Armenians flee Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Explosions and border inspections.
- Diplomatic talks amid crisis.
Approximately 42,500 ethnic Armenians have evacuated Nagorno-Karabakh, according to Armenian officials – a third of the enclave’s population, which Azerbaijan seized last week.
On the one road leading into Armenia, hundreds of vehicles are blocked up.
Armenia’s prime minister asserts that “ethnic cleansing” has begun, whereas Azerbaijan asserts that residents will be secure.
Nagorno-Karabakh, acknowledged as a province of Azerbaijan, was administered by ethnic Armenians for thirty years.
The mountainous South Caucasus region has been supported by both Armenia and its ally, Russia.
As the Azerbaijani army advanced, at least 200 ethnic Armenians and dozens of Azerbaijani soldiers were slain. Separatists have consented to hand over their weapons as part of a cease-fire accord.
The Azeris have stated that they wish to treat ethnic Armenians as “equal citizens,” but only a limited quantity of aid has been permitted through and many residents have fled.
On Monday, a massive fuel explosion murdered at least 68 individuals who were attempting to escape.
Nearly 300 additional people were injured, and 105 are still missing.
It is not yet known what caused the explosion that occurred Monday evening near the principal city of Khankendi, also known as Stepanakert by Armenians, but many motorists were filling up their vehicles at the time.
Thousands of ethnic Armenians were subjected to rigorous inspections by Azerbaijani border control on Tuesday as they crossed the frontier.
A government source told Agence France-Presse that Azerbaijan intended to grant amnesty to Armenian fighters who set down their arms in Karabakh. Azerbaijani authorities claimed they were searching for suspects of “war crimes.”
But those who committed war crimes during the Karabakh wars must be handed over to us,” they stated.
Hundreds of vehicles and buses are attempting to cross the border into Goris.
Inside Goris, a small town with the same dusty brown hue as the surrounding jagged mountains, the narrow streets are packed with more vehicles and families. One has arrived in a car held together with little more than adhesive tape, the side of which is severely dented and riddled with shrapnel wounds, and the windows are shattered.
Last week, Azerbaijan launched a lightning-fast offensive to seize control of the region. According to the owner, the building was struck by mortar fire during the assault. “But it still got us here,” he grins, surrounded by young children.
On the central town square, individuals meander about, uncertain of what to do next. Volunteers distribute essential food items and blankets.
There are registries for evacuees and the occasional vehicle to transport them to another town or village. However, few appear to have a plan beyond reaching this point.
Malina and her family spent two days last week crouched in their cellar because their village was on fire. Malina reports that after the Karabakh forces capitulated, the local authorities instructed everyone to flee to Armenia for protection. Empty is their village in the Martakert region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Malina claims that her family fled because, despite assurances to the contrary, they would not have felt secure under Azerbaijani rule.
This sentiment is shared by numerous observers of the unfolding situation.
Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken implored Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to provide “unconditional protections and freedom of movement for civilians” and demanded “unimpeded humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also called for both parties to respect human rights.
Since separatists accepted a ceasefire and agreed to disarm, only one shipment of 70 tonnes of food has been permitted to pass through. Azerbaijan announced that an additional aid convoy carrying 40 tonnes of flour and urgently required sanitation supplies was en route to the enclave.
According to ethnic Armenian leaders, thousands of people are without food or shelter and are resting in basements, schools, or outdoors.
The Armenian health ministry announced it would dispatch helicopters to evacuate patients from overcrowded facilities in the region. In addition, Azerbaijan claimed to have sent medical provisions.
Tuesday, diplomats from Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Brussels for talks sponsored by the European Union.
The two nations held their first diplomatic talks since Azerbaijan seized the enclave a week earlier.
Azerbaijan has also initiated separate negotiations with the ethnic Armenian authorities of Karabakh regarding the future of the region.
