News - UN Secretary-General calls for an 'immediate end' to fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an “immediate end to the fighting" in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). “The Secretary-General is extremely concerned over the use of military force in the region and reports of casualties, including among the civilian population. He regrets that these worrying developments follow the delivery of much-needed humanitarian assistance to the local population on 18 September. The Secretary-General calls in the strongest terms for an immediate end to the fighting, de-escalation, and stricter observance of the 2020 ceasefire and principles of international humanitarian law. He remains concerned about the humanitarian situation on the ground and reiterates his call for urgent steps to facilitate full-fledged access for humanitarian actors to people in need. He calls on the parties to refocus on efforts to help build confidence and secure long-term peace in the region,” the UN Secretary General’s office said in a statement. As previously reported by NEWS.am, Azerbaijan's Armed Forces initiated artillery fire along the entire line of contact in Nagorno Karabakh on September 19, starting at 1 p.m., in an attempt to breach the defense line of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Forces. Presently, Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno Karabakh, and other settlements are enduring heavy shelling. Gegham Stepanyan, the Human Rights Defender of Nagorno Karabakh, has documented multiple casualties and injuries among civilians, including children. As of September 20, fighting continues along the contact line of Nagorno Karabakh with varying degrees of intensity. Units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are employing various weapons not only to maintain their positional advance but also to target civilian infrastructure.