Toivo Klaar, the EU’s special envoy for the South Caucasus, posted on his Twitter page an ICRC statement expressing serious concern over severe shortages of food and life-saving medicine in Karabakh resulting from the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin corridor.
The statement issued on Tuesday warned that humanitarian situation there “will further deteriorate” unless the Geneva-based organization is allowed to again ship limited quantities of such items.
“The ICRC is doing a tremendous job in very challenging circumstances on the ground,” tweeted Klaar. “It is important that they are able to operate freely. The EU is taking their warnings seriously.”
The EU has repeatedly urged Azerbaijan to unblock the only road connecting Karabakh to Armenia. The president of the EU’s decision-making Council, Charles Michel, reiterated those calls when he hosted fresh talks between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in Brussels on July 15.
At the same time, Michel appreciated Baku’s offer to deliver basic necessities to Karabakh through an alternative, Azerbaijani-controlled route bypassing the Lachin corridor.
“I see both options as important,” he said, prompting strong criticism from Karabakh’s leadership that regards the offer as a cynical ploy designed to facilitate the restoration of Azerbaijani control over Karabakh.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry pointed to the Karabakh Armenians’ rejection of the alternative supply line when it reacted to the ICRC statement later on Tuesday. The ministry also warned the Red Cross against “abusing” its mandate.