Nagorny Karabakh: the lasting consequences of an unresolved conflict
27-12-2006 Photo gallery
Twelve years after the cease-fire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ICRC protection and assistance activities continue. The fate of thousands of missing persons remains unknown, mines and unexploded ordnance continue to kill and maim and many displaced persons have still not been able to go home.
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The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorny Karabakh remains unresolved. Despite the 1994 cease-fire, peace remains fragile. Frontline (or 'line of contact') incidents continue to claim lives. Mines and unexploded ordnance kill and maim indiscriminately, and many people are still living in camps for displaced persons.
One of the ICRC’s current priorities is to resolve the question of the thousands of people missing in connection with the conflict.
Over 4,000 people are still missing in connection with the Nagorny Karabakh conflict. Many families in Armenia and Azerbaijan suffer the pain of not knowing what has happened to a loved one. The ICRC maintains contact with these families and helps them with the necessary formalities. In each case, a tracing request is opened, and the ICRC submits lists of missing persons to the authorities.
Preparations for an ante-mortem data collection project are under way in both countries. The data will be used to identify remains following exhumation.