<p>The Armenian government on Thursday (Sep 28) announced more than 65,000 Armenians had fled the conflict-ridden zone of&nbsp;Nagorno-Karabakh for Yerevan after Azerbaijan recaptured the territory last week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Armenian government spokeswoman, Nazeli Baghdasaryan in a statement said,&nbsp;"65,036 forcefully displaced persons crossed into Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh".</p>

<p>"The state is providing suitable housing to all those who do not have a predetermined place of residence," she added.</p>

<p>According to estimates, some 120,000 ethnic Armenians are believed to be living in the territory before Azerbaijan mounted the offensive.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Despite Azerbaijan's commitment to respecting the rights of Armenians, many residents remain apprehensive about potential repercussions. A mass displacement is already underway as&nbsp;more than a third of the region's population has already left.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nagorno-karabakh-conflict-locals-leave-for-armenia-en-masse-after-azeri-victory-claim-639994"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Locals leave for Armenia en masse after Azeri victory claim</strong></a></p>

<p>Previously, the Armenian health ministry said&nbsp;237 people had been wounded in the offensive by Azeri forces as well as the gas station explosion that took place on Monday (Sep 25).&nbsp;</p>

<p>The explosion occurred as people queued to refuel their vehicles at a gas station outside Stepanakert, the regional capital.&nbsp;While the exact cause remains unclear, Nagorno-Karabakh presidential aide David Babayan suggested that initial information pointed to negligence as the likely cause, with sabotage being unlikely.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, on Wednesday (Sep 27) Azerbaijan's health ministry announced that a total of 192&nbsp;Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 wounded during the offensive in&nbsp;Nagorno-Karabakh.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/looming-humanitarian-crisis-in-armenia-for-azerbaijan-exit-of-armenians-a-major-victory-639648"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Looming humanitarian crisis in Armenia: For Azerbaijan, exit of Armenians a major victory</strong></a></p>

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<h2><strong>What happened between Armenia and Azerbaijan?</strong></h2>

<p>For decades, the&nbsp;mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh province has been the centre of a bitter conflict between the former soviet states of Armenia and&nbsp;Azerbaijan.</p>

<p>Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian military, in separatist fighting that ended in 1994. During a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan took back parts of Nagorno-Karabakh along with surrounding territory that Armenian forces had claimed during the earlier conflict.</p>

<p>The use of modern, deadly drones by the Azeri forces was dubbed as the game changer at the time which completely trashed the Armenian forces.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Building on the advantage,&nbsp;Azerbaijan last week launched a full-scale attack on the region to reclaim complete control of the breakaway region, occupied by Armenian separatists for about 30 years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The separatist troops could not handle the intensity of the Azeri troops and soon agreed to lay down arms to bring the conflict to an end.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>

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The Armenian government on Thursday (Sep 28) announced more than 65,000 Armenians had fled the conflict-ridden zone of Nagorno-Karabakh for Yerevan after Azerbaijan recaptured the territory last week.

The Armenian government on Thursday (Sep 28) announced more than 65,000 Armenians had fled the conflict-ridden zone of Nagorno-Karabakh for Yerevan after Azerbaijan recaptured the territory last week. Armenian government spokeswoman, Nazeli Baghdasaryan in a statement said, "65,036 forcefully displaced persons crossed into Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh". "The state is providing suitable housing to all those who do not have a predetermined place of residence," she added. According to estimates, some 120,000 ethnic Armenians are believed to be living in the territory before Azerbaijan mounted the offensive. Despite Azerbaijan's commitment to respecting the rights of Armenians, many residents remain apprehensive about potential repercussions. A mass displacement is already underway as more than a third of the region's population has already left. Also read | Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Locals leave for Armenia en masse after Azeri victory claim Previously, the Armenian health ministry said 237 people had been wounded in the offensive by Azeri forces as well as the gas station explosion that took place on Monday (Sep 25). The explosion occurred as people queued to refuel their vehicles at a gas station outside Stepanakert, the regional capital. While the exact cause remains unclear, Nagorno-Karabakh presidential aide David Babayan suggested that initial information pointed to negligence as the likely cause, with sabotage being unlikely. Meanwhile, on Wednesday (Sep 27) Azerbaijan's health ministry announced that a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 wounded during the offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh. Watch | Looming humanitarian crisis in Armenia: For Azerbaijan, exit of Armenians a major victory × What happened between Armenia and Azerbaijan? For decades, the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh province has been the centre of a bitter conflict between the former soviet states of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian military, in separatist fighting that ended in 1994. During a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan took back parts of Nagorno-Karabakh along with surrounding territory that Armenian forces had claimed during the earlier conflict. The use of modern, deadly drones by the Azeri forces was dubbed as the game changer at the time which completely trashed the Armenian forces. Building on the advantage, Azerbaijan last week launched a full-scale attack on the region to reclaim complete control of the breakaway region, occupied by Armenian separatists for about 30 years. The separatist troops could not handle the intensity of the Azeri troops and soon agreed to lay down arms to bring the conflict to an end. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Over 65,000 Armenians flee Nagorno Karabakh after Azerbaijan's victory

<p>Azerbaijan on Tuesday (July 11) temporarily shut the only road which links its breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region with Armenia. Azerbaijan has accused Armenian branch of the Red Cross of smuggling.</p>

<p>The region has been at the centre of the dispute between the two Caucasus countries. They have fought two wars over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The closure of the road has come ahead of the European Union-mediated talks between the ex-Soviet countries.</p>

<p>"The passage through Lachin checkpoint of the state border is temporarily suspended" pending an investigation into the Red Cross using its medical vehicles for "smuggling", Azerbaijan's state border service said on Tuesday.</p>

<p>Azerbaijan said that the decision was taken after the Red Cross failed to "take necessary steps to prevent illegal actions" like smuggling mobile phones from Armenia to Karabakh. Azerbaijan is accusing that this 'smuggling' is taking place using the organisation's medical vehicles.</p>

<p>Armenia has urged international action and has called closure of road being part of Azerbaijan's policy of "ethnic cleansing".</p>

<p>"More international efforts and actions needed to lift" the Karabakh blockade and "to prevent ethnic cleansing," foreign ministry spokeswoman Ani&nbsp;Badalyan said in an English-language Twitter post.</p>

<p>The International Committee of the Red Cross has denied Baku's claims. It has said that "no unauthorised material has been found in any vehicle belonging to ICRC."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"However, we regret that without our knowledge four hired drivers tried to transport some commercial goods in their own vehicles which were temporarily displaying the ICRC emblem," it added in a statement.</p>

<p>The border point at the entrance to the Lachin corridor was set up by Azerbaijan in April. This had exacerbated allegations from Armenia of a Karabakh "blockade".</p>

<p>Armenian branch of the Red Cross said late last month that Azerbaijan was impeding access to Karabakh.</p>

<p>Azerbaijan's state border service said several days later that traffic through the Lachin corridor -- policed by Russian peacekeepers -- was resumed.</p>

<p>The latest developments followed a months-long blockade by Azerbaijani environmental activists, which Yerevan claims spurred a humanitarian crisis and food and fuel shortages.</p>

<p>Azerbaijan insisted at the time that civilian transport could go unimpeded through the Lachin corridor.</p>

<h2><strong>'Ethnic cleansing'</strong></h2>

<p>Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian Prime Minister said last month that the "humanitarian situation in Karabakh has worsened dramatically".</p>

<p>"Food supplies to Karabakh have practically ceased and patients are not being allowed to be taken to hospitals in Armenia for medical treatment," he said.</p>

<p>Baku's "actions prove that Azerbaijan is pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing in Karabakh," he added.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Azerbaijan on Tuesday (July 11) temporarily shut the only road which links its breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region with Armenia. Azerbaijan has accused Armenian branch of the Red Cross of smuggling.

Azerbaijan on Tuesday (July 11) temporarily shut the only road which links its breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region with Armenia. Azerbaijan has accused Armenian branch of the Red Cross of smuggling. The region has been at the centre of the dispute between the two Caucasus countries. They have fought two wars over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The closure of the road has come ahead of the European Union-mediated talks between the ex-Soviet countries. "The passage through Lachin checkpoint of the state border is temporarily suspended" pending an investigation into the Red Cross using its medical vehicles for "smuggling", Azerbaijan's state border service said on Tuesday. Azerbaijan said that the decision was taken after the Red Cross failed to "take necessary steps to prevent illegal actions" like smuggling mobile phones from Armenia to Karabakh. Azerbaijan is accusing that this 'smuggling' is taking place using the organisation's medical vehicles. Armenia has urged international action and has called closure of road being part of Azerbaijan's policy of "ethnic cleansing". "More international efforts and actions needed to lift" the Karabakh blockade and "to prevent ethnic cleansing," foreign ministry spokeswoman Ani Badalyan said in an English-language Twitter post. The International Committee of the Red Cross has denied Baku's claims. It has said that "no unauthorised material has been found in any vehicle belonging to ICRC." "However, we regret that without our knowledge four hired drivers tried to transport some commercial goods in their own vehicles which were temporarily displaying the ICRC emblem," it added in a statement. The border point at the entrance to the Lachin corridor was set up by Azerbaijan in April. This had exacerbated allegations from Armenia of a Karabakh "blockade". Armenian branch of the Red Cross said late last month that Azerbaijan was impeding access to Karabakh. Azerbaijan's state border service said several days later that traffic through the Lachin corridor -- policed by Russian peacekeepers -- was resumed. The latest developments followed a months-long blockade by Azerbaijani environmental activists, which Yerevan claims spurred a humanitarian crisis and food and fuel shortages. Azerbaijan insisted at the time that civilian transport could go unimpeded through the Lachin corridor. 'Ethnic cleansing' Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian Prime Minister said last month that the "humanitarian situation in Karabakh has worsened dramatically". "Food supplies to Karabakh have practically ceased and patients are not being allowed to be taken to hospitals in Armenia for medical treatment," he said. Baku's "actions prove that Azerbaijan is pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing in Karabakh," he added. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Azerbaijan closes key road link to Karabakh region

<p>Pope Francis on Sunday (December 18) made an appeal during his Sunday address for end to escalating tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. His appeal has come on the heels of blocking of a key road linking Armenia to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.</p>

<p>A group of Azerbaijanis claiming to be environmental activists blocked the Lachin corridor, the only land route for people, goods, food and medical supplies to reach Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia across Azerbaijani territory at the start of this week.</p>

<p>Armenia and Azerbaijan have a dispute between them over Nagorno-Karabakh region. The two countries have fought repeated wars over the region. The region is internationally recognised as being part of Azerbaijan but it is home to 120,000 ethnic Armenians - since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. As recently as September, more than 200 soldiers were killed in a flare-up of fighting.</p>

<p>After his weekly Angelus prayer, the 86-year-old pontiff asked the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray for peace in Ukraine and in Peru where the fall of ousted and jailed leader Pedro Castillo sparked deadly protests around the country.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Pope Francis on Sunday (December 18) made an appeal during his Sunday address for end to escalating tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. His appeal has come on the heels of blocking of a key road linking Armenia to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.

Pope Francis on Sunday (December 18) made an appeal during his Sunday address for end to escalating tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. His appeal has come on the heels of blocking of a key road linking Armenia to the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. A group of Azerbaijanis claiming to be environmental activists blocked the Lachin corridor, the only land route for people, goods, food and medical supplies to reach Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia across Azerbaijani territory at the start of this week. Armenia and Azerbaijan have a dispute between them over Nagorno-Karabakh region. The two countries have fought repeated wars over the region. The region is internationally recognised as being part of Azerbaijan but it is home to 120,000 ethnic Armenians - since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. As recently as September, more than 200 soldiers were killed in a flare-up of fighting. After his weekly Angelus prayer, the 86-year-old pontiff asked the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray for peace in Ukraine and in Peru where the fall of ousted and jailed leader Pedro Castillo sparked deadly protests around the country. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Pope Francis appeals for calm amid rising tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia

<p>Armenian President&nbsp;Armen Sarkissian on Friday appointed Vagharshak Harutyunyan as the&nbsp;new defence minister for the country post criticism&nbsp;over a ceasefire that secured advances for Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh following six weeks of fighting.</p>

<p>Vagharshak Harutyunyan has previously served as&nbsp;the&nbsp;defence minister of Armenia&nbsp;from 1999 to 2000. He has replaced&nbsp;Davit Tonoyan&nbsp;who held the job&nbsp;since May 2018.</p>

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<p>Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. That war left not only Nagorno-Karabakh itself but substantial surrounding territory in Armenian hands.</p>

<p>A huge number of demonstrators have requested Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan quit over the truce that finished the heaviest battling in a long time in Nagorno-Karabakh, an area that is inside Azerbaijan however chiefly populated by ethnic Armenians.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/armenia-and-azerbaijan-a-decades-long-bloody-rivalry-330840">Armenia and Azerbaijan: A decades-long bloody rivalry</a></strong></p>

<p>Under the Russia-facilitated bargain, Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Armenian pioneers are giving over areas of an area which they had controlled for quite a long time yet had been kept on being globally perceived as a component of Azerbaijan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During the ongoing battling, Azeri powers recovered huge pieces of an area that had been lost in a battle during the 1990s.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Azerbaijan's protection service said its powers had entered the Agdam locale, a region outside Nagorno-Karabakh that Armenian powers needed to surrender under the truce bargain.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pashinyan, who has dismissed calls to leave, divulged a six-month activity plan on Wednesday which he said was intended to guarantee Armenia's solidness.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Before Tonoyan's excusal was declared, an underlying report by Armenian paper Aravot had said he had offered his acquiescence.</p>


Armenian President Armen Sarkissian on Friday appointed Vagharshak Harutyunyan as the new defence minister for the country post criticism over a ceasefire that secured advances for Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh following six weeks of fighting.

Armenian President Armen Sarkissian on Friday appointed Vagharshak Harutyunyan as the new defence minister for the country post criticism over a ceasefire that secured advances for Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh following six weeks of fighting. Vagharshak Harutyunyan has previously served as the defence minister of Armenia from 1999 to 2000. He has replaced Davit Tonoyan who held the job since May 2018. Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a separatist war there ended in 1994. That war left not only Nagorno-Karabakh itself but substantial surrounding territory in Armenian hands. A huge number of demonstrators have requested Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan quit over the truce that finished the heaviest battling in a long time in Nagorno-Karabakh, an area that is inside Azerbaijan however chiefly populated by ethnic Armenians. Also see: Armenia and Azerbaijan: A decades-long bloody rivalry Under the Russia-facilitated bargain, Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Armenian pioneers are giving over areas of an area which they had controlled for quite a long time yet had been kept on being globally perceived as a component of Azerbaijan. During the ongoing battling, Azeri powers recovered huge pieces of an area that had been lost in a battle during the 1990s. Azerbaijan's protection service said its powers had entered the Agdam locale, a region outside Nagorno-Karabakh that Armenian powers needed to surrender under the truce bargain. Pashinyan, who has dismissed calls to leave, divulged a six-month activity plan on Wednesday which he said was intended to guarantee Armenia's solidness. Before Tonoyan's excusal was declared, an underlying report by Armenian paper Aravot had said he had offered his acquiescence.

Vagharshak Harutyunyan appointed as Armenia's new defence minister

The disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh is battling a fresh crisis. Not only is the region facing hose worst clashes in decades as the fighting continues between Armenia and Azarbaijan. There is also the challenge to beat COVID-19. Watch report.

Your Story: Coronavirus pandemic another challenge to overcome for civilians of Nagorno-Karabakh