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Crisis Severity0 Very lowVery high 5
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Impact0 Very lowVery high 5
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Humanitarian Conditions0 Very lowVery high 5
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Complexity0 Very lowVery high 5
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Access ConstraintsNo constraintsExtreme constraints
Key figures
Special Reports
21/12/2020
Special Reports
14/12/2020
Overview
17/12/2020
On 27 September 2020, heavy fighting broke out between Azeri and Armenian forces in and around the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region is recognised as part of Azerbaijan but is de-facto controlled by an ethnic Armenian administration.?
On 9 November, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a Russian-brokered ceasefire. Under its provisions, Armenia will return Aghdam, Kelbajar, and Lachin districts, along with parts of Gazakh district, to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan will maintain control over territory gained in Nagorno-Karabakh during the latest conflict. Russian peacekeepers will be deployed in the remaining areas of Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor that connects Stepanakert to Armenia. The deal also calls for the return of IDPs and refugees to Nagorno-Karabakh, without providing any further details. ?
Cities in Nagorno-Karabakh and neighbouring Armenia and Azerbaijan have been hit by shelling, causing casualties and damaging civilian infrastructure. As of 2 November, there were 138 reported civilian deaths – 45 in Nagorno-Karabakh, two in Armenia, and 91 in Azerbaijan.?
According to the Government of Azerbaijan, 40,000 people in the country have been displaced by the current conflict. 90,000 ethnic Armenians are reported to have fled from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia.? Arrivals in Armenia have been reported in Goris, near Nagorno-Karabakh, and Yerevan, the capital.?
The needs and severity of the affected population is not yet known, although it is estimated that they will likely face increased needs across all sectors. The limited coping capacity of urban centres receiving high numbers of spontaneous arrivals is of concern. Multiple families are reported to be sheltering in small quarters, increasing the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Shelter and NFIs are a priority as winter begins in this mountainous region.?
Latest Developments
06/11/2020
No significant recent humanitarian developments. This crisis is being monitored by our analysis team.
Humanitarian Access
15/12/2020
HIGH CONSTRAINTS
Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh broke out on 27 September between Azerbaijan and Armenia-backed ethnic Ar-menian forces. Fighting restricted the access of people in need to services, and roads were sometimes blocked, restricting people’s access to safety. Humanitarian organisations are primarily concentrated in Armenia, with some service provision in Azerbaijan. Access to Nagorno-Karabakh itself is difficult to ensure, as aid agencies are subject to a complex registration and review process in Azerbaijan. The ICRC was the only active aid organi-sation in Nagorno-Karabakh prior to the most recent conflict, and at the height of hostilities was forced to reduce and suspend activities, although it is now operational. Humanitarian organisations had no access to adjacent territories, which were also affected by the recent and past conflicts. Nagorno-Karabakh was and is subject to the control of different actors, namely ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijan. Fighting restricted movement and destroyed or damaged civilian infrastructure in Nagorno-Karabakh as well as in Azerbaijan. It has also likely left additional UXOs in the region, which had already created access constraints prior to the recent conflict. As the situation is evolving, it is unclear how humanitarian access will shift in Nagorno-Karabakh under the provisions of the ceasefire agreement.
Read more in the latest ACAPS Humanitarian Access Overview.
Information Gaps
06/11/2020
Detailed information on displacement flows into Armenia and Azerbaijan is not available. The location of displaced people within Azerbaijan is unknown.
