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Nagorno Karabakh: Humanitarian Situation

The UK Government has made clear that the closure of the Lachin corridor risks severe humanitarian consequences, particularly during winter. I [Leo Docherty] spoke to Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan on 18 January where we agreed on the importance of the immediate re-opening of the Lachin Corridor and the need to ensure gas and electricity supplies into Nagorno-Karabakh are not switched off. UK officials, including our Ambassador in Baku, have engaged extensively with Azerbaijani counterparts. On 18 January officials spoke to the ICRC regarding the humanitarian situation, including the dwindling food and medical supplies, and will remain in contact in the coming weeks to share their assessment of the impact of the closure. The UK Government will continue to engage with counterparts and with humanitarian agencies to support efforts aimed at resolving the current closure of the Lachin corridor.