French regional authorities issue statement in support of Artsakh Armenians

A number of French politicians were in Armenia from Aug. 29
to Aug 31 to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Artsakh. The officials,
namely Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, President of the Regional Council of
Hauts-de-France Xavier Bertrand, President of the Republicans group in the
Senate Bruno Retailleau, Mayor of Strasbourg Jeanne Barseghian, Member of the
Regional Council of Île-de-France Patrick Karam, officials from the cities of
Marseille and Lyon, representatives of Pays de la Loire, Occitania and
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions issued a statement after their visit to the Lachin
corridor.

Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo made a Twitter post, noting that
officials from a number of cities and regions of France responded to the calls
of the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations in France (CCAF) and
those of the authorities of Armenia and Artsakh, and sent emergency aid for the
Armenians of Artsakh.

“In violation of international law, since Dec. 12, 2022,
Azerbaijan has imposed a blockade on the Lachin corridor, which is the only
link connecting Artsakh to Armenia and to the rest of the world. A humanitarian
crisis is arising as a result; 120,000 civilians, including 30,000 children,
are isolated. They are refused access to medical supplies, energy resources and
water supplies. The Armenians of Artsakh have been facing dire shortages of food
for 9 months; they have been suffering distress, being targeted by the
Azerbaijani Armed Forces along the border. Thousands of people are dying.
Humanitarian organizations are not allowed to act despite the great famine and
the deepening crisis,” reads the statement.