Keywords: Artsakh Nagorno-Karabakh; Lachin Corridor blockade; Armenians; mothers; conflict; humanitarian crisis; genocide

Opening letter

Dear friends,

Today is already the 250th day of the blockade and now complete siege of Artsakh / Nagorno-Karabakh.

120,000 indigenous Armenian Christians of Artsakh are not only completely isolated from aid and services, but are also starving for food, freedom, and solidarity. They now have clear legal confirmation that this blockade is genocide, even before death rates notably rise.

Since the early days of the blockade, we have called this out as a genocide in intent and action because international law makes that clear. On this World Humanitarian Day, my team and I at The Zovighian Partnership (ZP) Public Office welcome the legal analysis of Mr. Luis Ocampo and his warning to not let the focus on the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh distract global attention away from the genocide that is already underway. To make matters clear, this new edition retracts the label of “Humanitarian emergency brief” and replaces it loudly with “Genocide briefing.”

Genocide is what mothers of young children feared when we first released this brief on February 2nd of this year with our collaborator, Artsakhi journalist Siranush Sargsyan. They told us then that they see no end to this blockade. Starvation and malnourishment are the dangerous reality of a calculated siege that is being legitimized by both Azerbaijani government policy and insufficient action by the international community. These mothers cannot afford our words and letters of appeal anymore. Their children need food, medicine, heating, schools, culture, and a guaranteed right to life and choice with dignity and security.

The Caucasus and world will be deeply affected if the Armenian community are not protected before it is too late. The same way you cannot bring back time when there are delays to humanitarian action, we cannot reverse death by genocide.

With my deepest respects,

Lynn Zovighian

Co-founder and Managing Director

The Zovighian Partnership

On behalf of ZP Public Office