[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 20, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4621-S4622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Armenia and Azerbaijan

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, in the mountains of Nagorno-Karabakh, a 
humanitarian crisis is unfolding. Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin 
corridor has left over 100,000 ethnic Albanians cut off from the 
world--deprived of the food, the water, fuel, and medical care that 
they need to survive.
  Last week, one resident made a plea. She asked:

       How many more people will have to die before the world 
     takes notice?

  Today, that question carries new meaning as the Armenian people not 
only confront dwindling resources but heavy bombardment. On September 
19, Azerbaijan violated the fragile peace and began attacking Nagorno-
Karabakh. While a cease-fire was announced this morning, we cannot 
ignore the violence, and we must stand with the citizens of Nagorno-
Karabakh.
  This conflict systematically targets the Armenian people. It is 
cruel; it is calculated; and it is inhumane--further demonstrating that 
the Armenian people are facing an existential threat. Experts from the 
International Criminal Court say there is reason to believe it amounts 
to an act of genocide. That word would always sound an alarm, but it 
creates a particular weight with the Armenian people and evokes a 
devastating chapter of their history.
  The government of Azerbaijan has orchestrated a humanitarian 
disaster, only to further their political and their territorial claims. 
The blockade of the Lachin corridor has kept essential supplies out of 
the region since June. Pregnant women are being forced to walk miles to 
a medical clinic. Fuel shortages have shut down schools and sidelined 
emergency vehicles. People get sick from untreated water and then visit 
pharmacies with empty shelves.
  Food shortages run rampant. Officials in Nagorno-Karabakh estimate 
that 95 percent of residents are suffering from malnutrition. Starving 
citizens are lining up for bread in the streets and wondering how they 
will find their family's next meal. The use of military force by 
Azerbaijan will only further endanger citizens who have already endured 
so much.
  The Biden administration has provided some crucial assistance, and 
the Azerbaijani Government has announced a theoretical agreement to 
open the Lachin corridor once again. But that deal has yet to bring the 
Armenian people out of harm's way. The

[[Page S4622]]

bombardment began after it was reached, and this increasing military 
aggression has only deepened the humanitarian crisis.
  The Aliyev regime has now demanded that Nagorno-Karabakh's government 
be dissolved and the ethnic Armenian troops be removed. The Azerbaijan 
Government has made it clear their goal is to erase the historic 
presence of Armenians in this region.
  Until it is proven that this cruel campaign has ended, we must be 
vigilant. Until the people of Nagorno-Karabakh have what they need to 
survive and to walk freely in their home once again, we cannot stand to 
the side.
  In the midst of these unthinkable conditions, residents have taken to 
the streets, calling for an end to the blockade. We must join their 
chorus--shedding a light on Azerbaijan's actions and addressing the 
immediate threat of ethnic violence. And I encourage the Biden 
administration to remember these crimes against humanity when 
considering where to send aid and to apply diplomatic pressure.
  If we continue to let this crisis devolve, then we are complicit in 
the violence. I call on my Senate colleagues and the Biden 
administration to stand against the cruelty of the Azerbaijan 
Government and stand by the side of the Armenian people.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  (Ms. ROSEN assumed the Chair.)
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Baldwin). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.