“This is genocide.”
That’s what Dr. Biayna G. Sukhudyan, a pediatric neurologist trapped inside Nagorno-Karabakh, a small, landlocked region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, said about the current situation on the ground.
A blockade, which began Dec. 12, has left the 120,000 residents there in a dire situation.
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“There is no air connection. … And there are families who are separated. There are children who are are stuck in Armenia, cannot come and see their parents,” she told CBN’s Faithwire. “There are professionals … who are now in Armenia [and] cannot get in.”
Sukhudyan added, “There is no time to wait and allow the next genocide, because this is genocide.”
The doctor is inside Nagorno-Karabakh after arriving nearly two weeks ago from Armenia to do some consultations and help children in the region. Now, she, like so many others, cannot leave, as the Lachin corridor — the only land passage — is reportedly intentionally being blocked by Azerbaijanis.
As Faithwire previously reported, this region, also known as Artsakh and comprised chiefly of Armenian Christians, has been disputed for decades.
Sukhudyan shared what she’s personally observing and what’s at stake. From dwindling food to a lack of life-saving medication and baby formula, she said the situation is dangerous and deadly.
“Many children with epilepsy … have to take anti-seizure drugs to get free of seizures, but now there is a shortage of these drugs,” she said. “And not only these drugs are not available, but also some painkillers and antibiotics as well as hormonal therapy, which is very important in acute situations, [is unavailable].”
Watch Sukhudyan’s dire warning:
Mothers are also reportedly running out of baby formula, and food is becoming more scarce.
The current crisis began when Azerbaijani residents reportedly blocked the Lachin corridor, the only land passage into Nagorno-Karabakh, cutting off travel between the area and Armenia.
The situation is so dire a group of human rights organizations issued a genocide warning Monday, cautioning how dangerous the scenario could become. It follows a long history of tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region.
Watch Sukhudyan take you inside the troubling scenario, and read the entire history on the conflict here.
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