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Country analysis

Azerbaijan


Azerbaijan has been involved in a 35-year conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh disputed territory and its surrounding areas. Nagorno-Karabakh is recognised as part of Azerbaijan but is de facto controlled by an ethnic Armenian administration. The first war between the two countries, from 1988–1994, resulted in more than 25,000 deaths on both sides.

The first war displaced around one million people, including 684,000 from Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan and around 185,000 people from Armenia to Azerbaijan.

In September 2020, heavy fighting broke out again between Azeri and Armenian forces in and around the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict lasted six weeks, until Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a Russia-brokered ceasefire.

Under the ceasefire provisions, Armenia returned Aghdam, Kelbajar, and Lachin districts, as well as parts of Gazakh district, to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan maintains control over the territory gained in Nagorno-Karabakh during the 2020 war . Russian peacekeepers have been deployed in the remaining contested several cities in Azerbaijan during the 2020 conflict.

Cities in Azerbaijan were also hit by shelling during 2020 conflict, causing casualties and damaging civilian infrastructure. The humanitarian consequences remain unclear, with significant information gaps on the needs caused by the fighting.

(ICRC 20/12/2021, OHCHR 02/11/2020, RFE/RL 10/12/2021, UNHCR 01/05/1996, BBC 12/11/2020, Al Jazeera 12/10/2020, RFE/RL 13/09/2022)

Azerbaijan has been involved in a 35-year conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh disputed territory and its surrounding areas. Nagorno-Karabakh is recognised as part of Azerbaijan but is de facto controlled by an ethnic Armenian administration. The first war between the two countries, from 1988–1994, resulted in more than 25,000 deaths on both sides.

The first war displaced around one million people, including 684,000 from Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan and around 185,000 people from Armenia to Azerbaijan.

In September 2020, heavy fighting broke out again between Azeri and Armenian forces in and around the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The conflict lasted six weeks, until Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a Russia-brokered ceasefire.

Under the ceasefire provisions, Armenia returned Aghdam, Kelbajar, and Lachin districts, as well as parts of Gazakh district, to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan maintains control over the territory gained in Nagorno-Karabakh during the 2020 war . Russian peacekeepers have been deployed in the remaining contested several cities in Azerbaijan during the 2020 conflict.

Cities in Azerbaijan were also hit by shelling during 2020 conflict, causing casualties and damaging civilian infrastructure. The humanitarian consequences remain unclear, with significant information gaps on the needs caused by the fighting.

(ICRC 20/12/2021, OHCHR 02/11/2020, RFE/RL 10/12/2021, UNHCR 01/05/1996, BBC 12/11/2020, Al Jazeera 12/10/2020, RFE/RL 13/09/2022)

Latest updates on country situation

26 July 2023

On 11 July 2023, the Azeri authorities blocked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from transporting goods and delivering services to Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin corridor. Besides the Russian peacekeeping mission, the ICRC had been the only organisation able to transport basic goods through the corridor after the Azerbaijani authorities blocked it on 12 December 2022, affecting the 120,000 majority ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh. Since then, the blockade has disrupted around 400 tons of daily deliveries of food and NFIs, resulting in shortages of medicine and other essential items, such as cooking oil, dairy products, bread, sugar, and salt. The blockade has also disrupted the passage of gas and electricity from Armenia through the corridor, leaving the region dependent on the limited capacity of the local hydropower plant for electricity. (OC Media 11/07/2023, OC Media 07/07/2023, HRW 21/12/2022)

current crises
in Azerbaijan


These crises have been identified through the INFORM Severity Index, a tool for measuring and comparing the severity of humanitarian crises globally.

Read more about the Index

AZE002 - Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Azerbaijan

Last updated 30/08/2023


Drivers

Conflict
Displacement

Crisis level

Country

Severity level

2.2 Medium

Access constraints

3.0

REG013 - Regional Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Last updated 30/08/2023


Drivers


Crisis level

Regional

Severity level

2.4 Medium

Access constraints

4.0

Analysis products
on Azerbaijan

Armenia-Azerbaijan: Nagorno-Karabakh blockade

20 January 2023

Armenia-Azerbaijan: Nagorno-Karabakh blockade

DOCUMENT / PDF / 532 KB

Since 12 December 2022, Azerbaijani ‘eco-activists’ have blocked the Lachin corridor which connects Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and is crucial for the transportation of essential goods to ethnic Armenian people residing in the region. It is affecting over 120,000 Armenian people, including 30,000 children, 20,000 older people, and about 9,000 people with disabilities living in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Attached resources

Pre-existing situation and impact of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

21 December 2020

Pre-existing situation and impact of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

DOCUMENT / PDF / 2 MB

This report presents a comprehensive review of the available primary and secondary data on areas in Azerbaijan affected by the recent Nagorno-Karabakh region as at 15 December. It provides a summary of available information on priority geographic areas and sectors for response, and the main vulnerable groups within the affected population in need of support. 

Conflict and violence
Armenia and Azerbaijan: Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh

20 November 2020

Armenia and Azerbaijan: Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh

DOCUMENT / PDF / 3 MB

Conflict over the area between Azerbaijan and Armenia and ethnic Armenian forces based in Nagorno-Karabakh has been ongoing for decades. For more than six weeks, fighting and displacement took place in Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding areas, resulting in the deaths of more than 140 civilians and thousands of combatants, widespread destruction to civilian infrastructure, and disruption to services.

Conflict and violence
Azerbaijan & Armenia: Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh

11 October 2020

Azerbaijan & Armenia: Conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh

DOCUMENT / PDF / 443 KB

On 27 September, heavy fighting broke out between Azerbaijan 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. Azerbaijan is calling for Armenia’s withdrawal from the region, while Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities claim they are defending themselves from attack.

Conflict and violence
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