Azerbaijan has launched a military operation to reclaim Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed landlocked region in the South Caucasus. While internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, it has been governed by the self-declared Republic of Artsakh since the early 1990s following the first Nagorno-Karabakh War. This region has been a longstanding point of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, with a recent war in 2020 leading to territorial changes. A trilateral ceasefire agreement was signed in November 2020, but reports in 2022 indicate a blockade by Azerbaijani forces, resulting in a humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Additional Terms:
- Republic of Artsakh: Also known as the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, it’s a self-proclaimed state in the South Caucasus, largely unrecognized internationally, that governs the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
- Nagorno-Karabakh War: A series of conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including the first war in the early 1990s and the 2020 war, centered around control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
- Trilateral Ceasefire Agreement: A peace agreement signed by Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia in November 2020 to end the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Blockade: The act of isolating or restricting the movement of goods and people in or out of a region, often for political or military reasons.
- Humanitarian Crisis: A situation characterized by widespread suffering, displacement, and basic needs not being met, often due to conflict, natural disasters, or other emergencie