Humanitarian problems caused by Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be eliminated
By Rashid Shirinov
Humanitarian problems that have arisen as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be eliminated, Ilaha Huseynova, Spokeswoman for the Baku office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on July 6.
She made the remarks at a meeting in the training and education center of the Azerbaijan Armed Forces with the participation of officers of various types of troops, the Defense Ministry reported.
Speaking at the meeting, Huseynova spoke about the rules of conduct during operations in countries at war, as well as international military legislation and its norms.
She also spoke about the components, activitiy and role of ICRC. Huseynova noted that ICRC’s exceptional humanitarian mission is to preserve the life and dignity of the victims of war and other violence and to provide them with assistance.
The spokeswoman further touched upon the issues of elimination of humanitarian problems arising as a result of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as the promotion and application of international humanitarian law.
The meeting also discussed the conduct of preventive measures by the personnel to ensure the safety of the civilian population, protection of the wounded, support of civilians during conflicts, as well as rules of treatment of prisoners of war.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.
Until now, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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