Fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh

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The territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is at the centre of one of the world’s longest running disputes that goes back more than 100 years. The latest conflict involved a lightening military operation by Azerbaijan. It resulted in nearly 120,000 Armenians, virtually the entire population, leaving Nagorno-Karabakh and making a difficult journey – across the border – to Armenia, Host Anna Foster hears from three women who took that single route. What might normally be an hour and a half’s drive through mountains took several days; meaning many people were without food and water. “People were freezing. People were trying to find something to eat,” says humanitarian aid worker Mary Asatryan. “You would see people getting out of their cars and searching for grass or something to have at least something to eat.” We’ll also hear from three volunteers in Armenia, who are meeting people at the end of that journey and trying to help with basic provisions and psychological support. On the other side of the dispute are the Azerbaijanis. And they share their views and experiences spanning back over the decades. (Photo: An elderly woman and children sit on bags of belongings as residents gather in central Stepanakert to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inhabited by ethnic Armenians, September 25, 2023. Credit: David Ghahramanya/Reuters)