Christian Solidarity International (CSI), a human rights group, recently spotlighted the ravages of Azerbaijan’s military aggression towards Nagorno-Karabakh, highlighting the resultant forced migration of Armenians from their ancestral lands, culminating in the obliteration of one of the world’s time-honored Christian communities.
The conflict saw Azerbaijan enforcing a stringent blockade around Nagorno-Karabakh for a period of nine months, cutting off the sole connecting route to the Republic of Armenia. This siege escalated on September 19, when a military onslaught was initiated by Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh, leading to the tragic deaths of numerous Armenians, while leaving thousands more homeless. A ceasefire was reluctantly accepted by the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities on Azerbaijan’s stipulations on the following day, which encompassed the disbandment of the Defense Army. To date, 47,715 uprooted individuals have vacated Nagorno-Karabakh, finding refuge in Armenia.
CSI pointed out the grievous loss, stating that the conflict led to the annihilation of one of the world’s ancient Christian communities, putting many of the oldest churches worldwide at risk of desecration or total destruction.
Reaffirming their enduring support for the Armenian populace—acknowledged as the inaugural Christian nation—CSI has expedited relief efforts to southern Armenia, accommodating the inflow of 120,000 refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. The path towards resettlement appears arduous and protracted, hence CSI is actively collaborating with local entities in Armenia to address the burgeoning needs.
Moreover, talks are underway to reinstate the Caroline Cox Rehabilitation Centre within Armenia, as disclosed by the organization. The center, with over two decades of service in Karabakh, has been a sanctuary for individuals bearing disabilities or war-inflicted wounds from the conflicts spanning 1988-1994, 2016, and 2020, offering state-of-the-art care.
spot_removal on September 29th, 2023 at 09:21 UTC »
I don’t think they know what decimated means.
TheSkyPirate on September 28th, 2023 at 23:56 UTC »
Very human story and unfortunately I don’t think it could have gone any other way. It was a gamble to bet on Russia as a protector. They were simply too weak. On the other hand, getting Western support (or a force of UN peacekeepers) was always a stretch. Even if it were possible, it would have required handing back the land that Armenia took in the 90’s, and probably even allowing the return of Azeris deported at that time. I don’t know if there is any universe where Armenia would have accepted that.
vigoave on September 28th, 2023 at 17:25 UTC »
We believed that after the passage of more than a hundred years (1915 Armenian Genocide), the world had become so civilized that it would not allow for a new genocide and new ethnic cleansings to occur. We thought that the most important thing in the modern world, apart from money, was the right of nations to self-determination. We were wrong.