Azerbaijan Blocks Entry of French Humanitarian Convoy into Karabakh

KORNIDZOR — Azerbaijan has blocked a French humanitarian convoy from delivering essential aid to the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The French convoy has been banned from entering Artsakh, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

She shared a photo from the Lachin corridor, where she visited with other elected officials.

“Here at the Lachin Corridor we testify that no humanitarian aid can enter Artsakh, in total violation of human rights. Our 10 humanitarian aid trucks are blocked. A humanitarian crisis is underway, there is urgency,” Mrs. Hidalgo said.

Mayor Hidalgo personally lead the convoy of 10 trucks from Yerevan to the entrance of blockaded Lachin Corridor. The trucks were unable to continue to Nagorno-Karabakh due to the Azeri blockade.

Xavier Bertrand, the President of the Regional Council of the French region of Hauts-de-France, said that their convoy was barred and condemned the move.

President of Nagorno-Karabakh Arayik Harutyunyan said he hoped the convoy would make it through and mitigate the sufferings of the people.

Meanwhile, a group of residents of Nagorno-Karabakh organized a meeting in the central plaza of Stepanakert to express gratitude to the French regions for the initiative.

The new convoy, sent by the City of Paris, the regions of Île-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Hauts-de-France, Occitania and Pays de la Loire, joined the Armenian humanitarian convoy and the previously sent French aid truck stranded at the entrance of Lachin Corridor in Kornidzor because of the Azerbaijani blockade.