The Crisis of the Lachin Corridor: On the Verge of Another Humanitarian Catastrophe

It has been more than two months that the only road of life connecting Artsakh to the rest of the world remains closed. Since December 12, 2022, a group of Azerbaijanis claiming to be eco-activists has kept the humanitarian corridor of Lachin closed with signs and environmentalist appeals depriving the 120,000 citizens of Artsakh of their fundamental right to freedom of movement. Evidently, it is not a real grassroots environmentalist protest. Instead, it is funded and controlled by Ilham Aliyev’s regime. It is beyond any doubt that the actions of the so-called protesters serve as a consistent tool for Azerbaijan’s hybrid warfare tactics and systematic policy of ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Artsakh.  

The situation remains unresolved on diplomatic platforms. Azerbaijan is defying calls by the international community to unblock the road. Today, the crisis of the Lachin Corridor swims in a pool of uncertainty and devastation. If not stopped immediately, it would leave long-term and irreversible consequences, not only to the future of Artsakh but also to the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.