Azerbaijan blocked an International Committee of the Red Cross convoy attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Nagorno-Karabakh, despite mounting international pressure and warnings of imminent starvation.
Aid Convoy Blocked
The ICRC convoy attempted to cross at 09:00:
- 10 trucks carrying food and medicine
- Coordinated with all parties in advance
- Azerbaijani forces refused passage
- Six-hour standoff at checkpoint
- Convoy forced to return to Armenia
This marks the 23rd Red Cross convoy blocked since December 2022. Not a single humanitarian shipment has been allowed through.
Convoy Contents
The blocked aid included:
ICRC Statement
We are deeply concerned that we cannot deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance. People’s lives depend on these supplies. International humanitarian law requires parties to allow and facilitate rapid passage of humanitarian relief.
Azerbaijani Justification
Baku claimed the convoy was blocked because:
- “Security concerns” about cargo
- “Improper documentation”
- “Unauthorized route usage”
- “Potential military supplies”
- “Sovereignty considerations”
The ICRC firmly rejected all claims, noting full transparency and coordination.
Desperate Conditions Inside
Without aid, the situation deteriorates daily:
- Hospitals operating without basic medicines
- Malnutrition visible in all children
- Elderly dying from treatable conditions
- Food riots beginning in Stepanakert
- Social order starting to break down
International Outrage
UN Secretary-General
“Denying humanitarian access to civilians in need violates international humanitarian law and basic principles of humanity.”
US Congressional Resolution
- Condemned aid blockage
- Called for immediate sanctions
- Recognized ethnic cleansing risk
- Demanded executive action
European Parliament
- Emergency debate scheduled
- Sanctions preparation accelerated
- Humanitarian airlift proposed
- Military observers suggested
Russian Inaction
Despite being guarantor of the corridor:
- Peacekeepers watched convoy turned back
- No intervention attempted
- Moscow issued mild statement only
- Local commander expressed “regret”
Russian peacekeepers have become mere observers of our slow-motion genocide. Their presence legitimizes Azerbaijan’s crimes.
Aid Organizations Unite
Major humanitarian organizations jointly appealed:
- Doctors Without Borders - Medical emergency declared
- Save the Children - Child starvation imminent
- World Food Programme - Famine conditions met
- Oxfam - Humanitarian law violations clear
- Human Rights Watch - War crimes documentation
Time Running Out
As the blocked convoy returned to Armenia, experts warned:
- Deaths from starvation expected within weeks
- Medical system collapse imminent
- Mass casualties unavoidable
- Population exodus increasingly likely
- International intervention urgently needed
The blocking of clearly marked humanitarian aid represents a new low in the crisis, removing any ambiguity about Azerbaijan’s intentions toward Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population.