The Azerbaijani military routed Armenian forces in a 24-hour blitz last week, forcing authorities to agree to lay down weapons after three decades of separatist rule.

Azerbaijan introduced a blockade 10 months ago, leading to desperate shortages of supplies, including food and water. Thousands have been forced to evacuate after residential homes and schools were damaged by shelling, crossing the border into Armenia. Dozens of people had been queueing at a fuel depot facility in Nagorno-Karabakh after they had been promised fuel to travel across the border before a devastating explosion occurred. Dozens were killed and hundreds injured.