Azerbaijan Has Blocked Access to Artsakh and Cut Off the Gas Supply — Removing the Primary Source of Food, Heat, Hot Water, & Electricity for the Armenians Who Live There

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger — alongside her colleagues in the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues — introduced a resolution condemning Azerbaijan for its blockade of Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and urging the United States to take immediate steps to end the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Azerbaijan began its blockade of the Lachin Corridor — a vital lifeline that connects the Armenian people of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) with the Republic of Armenia — on December 12, 2022 under the guise of an environmental protest. Since then, severe shortages of food, medical supplies, drinking water, and other essentials have created a dire humanitarian crisis for the 120,000 people living in Artsakh. Further reports indicate that Azerbaijan has also sabotaged important civilian infrastructure such as power transmission lines and fixed-line internet.

“The blocking of access to essential goods like food, water, and heat by the Azerbaijani government is unconscionable,” said Spanberger. “Aggression against civilians is entirely and invariably unjust. Our bipartisan resolution denounces Azerbaijan’s blockade and the dire humanitarian crisis it has created in Artsakh. Additionally, it calls on the President to use all diplomatic tools at America’s disposal to ensure the safety of the Armenians who live there. The United States must stand up for the Armenian people — and I’m proud to help introduce this resolution in response to the concerns of Virginia’s strong Armenian-American community.”

The man-made crisis in Artsakh purposefully created by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev threatens to severely worsen the quality of life for the people living there. Unfortunately, the current international strategy to reopen the Lachin Corridor is not working. Despite clearly documented evidence of the blockade and the impact it is having on innocent civilians, President Aliyev continues to lie to the United States and the international community by stating that there is no blockade. The Aliyev regime is taking premediated steps to remove the indigenous Armenian population from Artsakh and deprive them of the opportunity to live freely, democratically, and with dignity in the land of their ancestors — a clear sign of ethnic cleansing.

Click here for the text of the resolution.

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