On September 19^th, 2023, after months of blockade of the Lachin corridor, Azerbaijan launched a large–scale military offensive in Nagorno Karabakh, resulting in a rapid collapse of the Artsakh forces and the exodus of more than 100,000 Armenians from the territory. The region had been a long time  the subject of a territorial dispute between Azerbaijan, which holds the de jure sovereignty of the territory, and the Republic of Artsakh, which had become a self – proclaimed State after the first Nagorno Karabakh war, in 1991.

Nagorno-Karabakh has functioned as a de facto independent state since 1993, although it has always lacked international recognition, considered by the global community to be a part of Azerbaijan’s territory. However, since the first war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which Armenia won, about thirty years have passed, and Nagorno – Karabakh has maintained its independence in terms of its institutions and administration, while receiving substantial backing from neighbouring Armenia.

For decades, Azerbaijan had tried to win back the Karabakh region and, in 2020, started a new war against Armenia, which they won, enabling the country to gain a substantial part of the region, the Lachin corridor. In the last nine months, Azerbaijan had almost completely closed this passage. As a result, medical supplies and essential goods are in critically short supply or have already run out, with dire consequences for the local population of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Last month, following two days of fierce fighting, the separatist state’s forces – which were depleted of personnel, weapons, and strength as a result of the Lachin blockade – surrendered and accepted a ceasefire mediated by Russia. As part of an official “peacekeeping mission”, the nation stationed hundreds of soldiers in the area to assist local authorities in preserving peace.

According to Politico, U.S based digital newspaper, the U.S  Secretary of State, Antony Blinken reportedly addressed a group of lawmakers about Azerbaijan’s alleged plan to launch a near-future attack on a southern region of Armenia. This purported operation aims to establish a corridor connecting Azerbaijan to the exclave of Nakhichevan, which is a portion of Azerbaijani territory separated from the central part of the country. The Azerbaijani government has officially denied such intentions even if, in recent times, it has frequently made references to “Western Azerbaijan,” a concept utilised by Azerbaijani nationalists to lay historical claim to the entire Armenian territory as part of Azerbaijan. The reintegration of Nagorno Karabakh into Azerbaijan could also change many things in the South Caucasus region. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are two former Soviet republics, parts of URSS until its dissolution, and in both countries Russia’s influence has always been very strong. Armenia even has a military defense treaty with Russia, but while it remains a quite small and poor country, Azerbaijan is one of the main gas exporters in the world, and lately its relationship with Turkey got closer and closer.

Azerbaijan’s Armenian–populated enclave has now seen almost the entirety of its population fleeing to Armenia and the emergence of an enormous humanitarian crisis. In response to the escalation of hostilities, the European Commission is increasing its humanitarian funding in Armenia, adding 1.7 million to the €10.45 million already announced in response to the crisis, bringing total humanitarian funding to more than €12 million in 2023.

According to the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič: “Karabakh Armenians will not be forgotten. As the winter sets in, the displaced people in Armenia will face additional challenges. The EU is boosting its humanitarian funding to be prepared for the winter. We continue working together with our humanitarian partners on the ground to provide assistance to the most vulnerable.”  This quote has been reported by the European Commission and it aims to underline how the EU is trying to assist not only the displaced people in Armenia, but also the unprotected population still inside Nagorno-Karabakh. This additional funding from the Commission is intended to provide food, shelter, cash assistance and other essential services.

EU humanitarian funding adheres to the fundamental humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. The European Union’s humanitarian relief efforts have aimed to offer early recovery assistance to support individuals affected by conflicts in rebuilding their lives, with a focus on providing means of sustenance. Additionally, these initiatives have addressed the crucial task of de-mining in areas inhabited by civilians, also offering them mine risk awareness education.The European Commission plays a pivotal role in facilitating the coordination of humanitarian efforts and the exchange of information among various entities, including donors, authorities, and humanitarian collaborators.