Thread by @Tom_deWaal

1 Conflict continues deep inside #Karabakh. It seemed today that Shusha/i had fallen. Picture not fully clear.
Let me focus on the humanitarian situation in Karabakh. Yesterday I spoke to Artak Beglaryan, local human rights ombudsman. He said I could share the information.

2 Beglaryan told me the following: Bombardment continues. Thousands of civilians left Karabakh over the weekend for Armenia mainly women and children. They mainly left on the northern route, as the road through Lachin was too dangerous.

3 He estimates that 100,000 Karabakh Armenians have been displaced by the conflict, mainly to Armenia, but also within Karabakh itself. (That is probably more than two thirds of the local population.)

4 ICRC is only international humanitarian organization now in NK but they may also pull out due to increased fighting. ICRC only working at 20-25 % capacity and are constrained by COVID situation. Halo Trust is also still working in NK but hard for them to work effectively.

5 Many villages in all areas of Karabakh have been overrun by Azerbaijani forces. Most of Hadrut region is now under Azerbaijani military control. Some villages are still battlegrounds and are “burning.” 25-30 villagers are unaccounted for. Reasons to fear they were killed.

6 Confirmed civilian casualties in Karabakh now number 50, with 160 wounded. Civilian casualty figures are no longer so high, fortunately, mainly because most people remaining shelter in basements. But cluster munition remnants lie scattered making the city very dangerous.

7 The hospitals are full of wounded, though many have been evacuated to Armenia. The Republican Hospital was mostly evacuated after the (empty) Maternity Hospital right next door was hit by shelling.

8 Military casualties on the Armenian side are now around 1,300 with several hundred (perhaps 300) missing in action presumed dead. Artak estimates that the casualties on the Azerbaijani military side are much higher.

9 PS Some may dismiss this as biased--personally I find it very believable. Some will say “What about human rights of Azerbaijanis in the conflict?” I'll say: I’m not into Whataboutism. I’ve drawn attention to the suffering of Azerbaijani civilians and will continue to do so.