Third of ethnic Armenian population flees – DW – 09/27/2023

Armenian authorities say around 47,115 people have arrived from Nagorno-Karabakh since last week.

This would represent a third of all ethnic Armenians in the region that was reclaimed by Azerbaijan after a military offensive last week.

The figures have not been independently verified, but thousands of people have fled the region over the past days.

Separatist authorities have warned Armenians in the region could face ethnic cleansing after Azerbaijan retook control.

Baku has denied these claims and said it was seeking “peaceful reintegration” of the former breakaway territory.

Azerbaijan’s Health Ministry said 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and over 500 wounded in last weeks military offensive to retake Nagorno-Karabakh.

Separatist Nagorno-Karabakh officials earlier claimed at least 200 casualties on their side, including 10 civilians and 400 were wounded.

Last week’s operation led to Azerbaijan reclaiming control of the Armenian-majority territory that had been run by separatists for around 30 years. Home to about 120,000 ethnic Armenians, Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Tens of thousands of have already fled the region to Armenia, and the numbers are likely to go up after Azerbaijan has lifted its blockade of the roads between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on the government of Azerbaijan to let independent observers into the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

In a statement on Wednesday, Baerbock said Germany and its partners were “working hard to send observers as soon as possible,” and that Germany would increase its humanitarian aid from €2 million to €5 million ($ 5.2 million).

She said allowing an international observer mission would be “proof of confidence” that Baku was committed to the “security and wellbeing” of the people in the region.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has also underlined the need for an international mission when speaking to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday. Blinken further urged Aliyev to “refrain from further hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh and provide unhindered humanitarian access.”

Nagorno-Karabakh has been under blockade by Azerbaijan for several months, before Baku reclaimed control over the breakaway region last week and promised to guarantee ethnic Armenians’ rights.

But thousands have fled over the past days, as basic necessities are lacking and many fear reprisal from Azerbaijani forces.

fg/fb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)