U.S. Senators urge U.S. Ambassador to U.N. to pressure Azerbaijani  government to lift blockade of Artsakh

ArmInfo.Robert Menendez, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has posted a Twitter message, reading: 

"Today, Sen Alex Padilla and I sent a letter to USA Ambassador to the  U.N. [Linda Thomas-Greenfield] urging her to work with all UNSC  members to pressure the Azerbaijani government to lift the blockade  and prevent what the evidence suggests is a coordinated effort to  ethnically cleanse the people of Nagorno Karabakh." 

The letter reads: 

"We write to urge you to take a strong stance at today's UN Security  Council emergency meeting on the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh to  address the humanitarian crisis.

"For eight months, Azerbaijan has gradually tightened a blockade  meant to deprive Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh access to essential  goods, including food and medicine. On June 15, Azerbaijan  effectively shut down the delivery of all critical humanitarian  assistance, leading to severe consequences for the tens of thousands  of people living there, including children, the elderly, and other  residents with illnesses and disabilities. In an affront to  international humanitarian law and basic human dignity, almost a  month ago, Azerbaijan began denying access for the International  Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the last remaining humanitarian  group able to deliver life-saving relief to vulnerable populations.  The ICRC reported last month that "fruits, vegetables, and bread are  increasingly scarce and costly," while "other food items such as  dairy products, sunflower oil, cereal, fish, and chicken are  unavailable," noting also that "people lack life-saving medicine and  essentials like hygiene and baby formula." Today we know that the  situation has worsened further, with journalists posting photos of  empty grocery stores and reporting that ambulances no longer have  fuel.

"Azerbaijan's actions are nothing short of an attempt of ethnic  cleansing of the Armenian community that has lived there for  centuries. Indeed, earlier this month, former Prosecutor General of  the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo issued a report  stating that there is "a reasonable basis to believe that a genocide  is being committed."

"We are encouraged that the United States supported the call for  convening the meeting. In your capacity as the President of the UN  Security Council for August 2023, we ask that you work with all UNSC  members to pressure the Azerbaijani government to lift the blockade  and prevent what the evidence suggests is a coordinated effort to  ethnically cleanse the people of Nagorno Karabakh. Specifically, we  urge you to introduce a resolution calling for an immediate end of  the blockade and unfettered."