4,800 Residents Flee Amid Azerbaijan-Armenia Conflict

Armenian Residents Living in Disputed Territory Relocate

Azerbaijan, which is in conflict with Armenia, has effectively taken control of the disputed territory, triggering a mass exodus of ethnic Armenian residents from the area.

According to foreign media including Reuters, the Armenian government announced on the 25th (local time) at 8 a.m. that 4,805 ethnic Armenians living in the Nagorno-Karabakh region had arrived in Armenia. As of 1 a.m. that day, the number of residents who had crossed into Armenia was 3,000. More than 1,800 additional migrants arrived within seven hours.

The New York Times (NYT) reported that those fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh escaped with only minimal belongings and barely managed to get out. It also explained that they have no hope of returning.

Armenian refugees who lived in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan are arriving at a shelter in the village of Goris, Armenia, on the 24th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The number of migrants may increase further. There are concerns that Azerbaijan might carry out ethnic cleansing. The refugees who have arrived in Armenia are staying in hotels in villages near the border, but their future accommodations have not been determined.

Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijani territory but is home to many ethnic Armenians. Approximately 120,000 ethnic Armenians have established the "Republic of Artsakh" here and receive support from the Armenian government. They are also demanding separatist independence from Azerbaijan.

Since December of last year, Azerbaijan has blocked the "Lachin Corridor," the route connecting this region to Armenia, causing food and fuel supplies to be cut off. On the 19th, the Azerbaijani government classified an incident in which a civilian died due to a landmine explosion as a terrorist act and attacked the Nagorno-Karabakh region. As a result, the autonomous forces have surrendered.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.