The office of Nagorno-Karabakh’s ombudsman said on Tuesday that a 40-year-old man from Stepanakert identified as K. Hovhannisian died as a result of “chronic malnutrition, protein and energy deficiency.”
“The catastrophic food situation caused by the blockade and especially the two-month-long complete siege, leading to the malnutrition of people and the threat of hunger, the lack of necessary medicines and the inability of the full functioning of the healthcare system create direct and undeniable threats to the 120,000-strong population of Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh – ed.],” it said.
Meanwhile, Nagorno-Karabakh’s health authorities said that hemodialysis patients were being evacuated from the region “to avoid death due to growing shortages of necessary medical supplies.”
According to the de facto Health Ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh, 29 such patients have been transported to Armenia during the past two days, while 12 have refused to be evacuated and risk dying when suppression of their kidney function becomes life-threatening.
Kristine Avagimian, head of the hemodialysis department at Stepanakert’s hospital, said that each of the patients with kidney deficiency who preferred staying in Nagorno-Karabakh had their own reason for that.
“One of the patients has minor children to take care of, some are wheelchair-bound and have mobility problems. In other words, each has family and personal problems that led to such a decision, while they are well aware what it would lead to,” the doctor said.
Authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh estimate that medical supplies needed for hemodialysis will run out in the region in about two weeks.
Tensions around Nagorno-Karabakh escalated again in recent days and weeks amid a deteriorating humanitarian situation in the region that Armenia blames on Azerbaijan, saying that it continues to block all commercial and humanitarian supplies to the region through the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia.
Baku denies blockading the region and offers an alternative route of supply from within Azerbaijan via the eastern town of Agdam, which is rejected by Karabakh Armenians who fear it could be a prelude to their absorption into Azerbaijan.
Following an appeal from Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian leader Arayik Harutiunian to the international community over the blockade last week Armenia asked the United Nations Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on the humanitarian situation in the region.
Such a meeting has been scheduled for August 16, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.