Constructive criticism or distortion of the humanitarian narrative? – Authors' reply
Authors: Airazat M Kazaryan, Bjørn Edwin, Ara Darzi, Mushegh A Sahakyan, Sheraz Yaqub, Brice Gayet
Journal: The Lancet Global Health (2021)

We have read the Correspondence from Tahir Taghizade (the Ambassador of Azerbaijan in the UK)1Tahizade T Mr Tahir Taghizade, Ambassador of Azerbaijan in the UK, writes in response to “War in the time of COVID-19: humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia”.Lancet Glob Health. 2021; 9: e252Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar and Samir Babayev and colleagues2Babayev SN Hajiyeva S Baghirzada L et al.The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the politicisation of science.Lancet Glob Health. 2021; 9: e253-e254Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar regarding our recently published Comment.3Kazaryan AM Edwin B Darzi A et al.War in the time of COVID-19: humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.Lancet Glob Health. 2020; (published online Nov 27.)https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109x(20)30510-6Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (11) Google Scholar We are surprised to read that these authors are trying to change the primary focus of our publication from a humanitarian and health-care crisis around the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) into a political discussion about its background and history. We, health-care professionals, believe that we should rise above politics and focus on the humanitarian and health-care crisis, which was also the main focus of our Comment as an outreach to the international community to support the collapsing health care in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh due to a war during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thereby, any attempts to involve us in political speculations are futile and disappointing.We would, however, like to address some remarks made by Taghizade and Babayev and colleagues. We did not write this appeal to have a discussion on who threw the first or the biggest stone; there are surely enough reports on this.4Roblin S Tanks ablaze as Azerbaijani forces attack Armenian troops in disputed nagorno-karabakh. Jersey City, NJ: Forbes.https://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastienroblin/2020/09/27/tanks-ablaze-as-azerbaijani-forces-attack-armenian-troops-in-disputed-nagorno-karabakh/?fbclid=IwAR2rvFg7vNaYRDHxJj1vQJuUHnEWhMvCo01HWI2ZGXS6U5RRtWPt-__SW7o&sh=7eef357f2f90Date accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar, 5Abdulrahim R Turkish-backed Syrian fighters join Armenian-Azeri conflict.The Wall Street Journal. Oct 14, 2020; https://www.wsj.com/articles/turkish-backed-syrian-fighters-join-armenian-azeri-conflict-11602625885?fbclid=IwAR2_UVq7k8sYptF_pYmjIANn9JByPsWq_sKetaOto4lBpDRa6YpYVlzfjyEDate accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar The fact is that civilian people are suffering because of war during a pandemic. We strongly condemn the use of cluster bombs against the civilian population of any side of the conflict.6Human Rights WatchAzerbaijan: cluster munitions used in Nagorno-Karabakh.https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/10/23/azerbaijan-cluster-munitions-used-nagorno-karabakhDate accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar, 7Human Rights WatchArmenia: cluster munitions kill civilians in Azerbaijan.www.hrw.org/news/2020/10/30/armenia-cluster-munitions-kill-civilians-azerbaijanDate accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar Furthermore, the war did not exacerbate “the already severe COVID-19 situation in Armenia”, but became the new trigger. The data presented in our Comment about the COVID-19 situation before and during the war can be verified from open-access sources.8Worldometerwww.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/armenia/Date accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar As for the parallels between the COVID-19 situation in Georgia and Armenia from September, 2020, onwards, this comparison is inaccurate as it ignores the strikingly different epidemiological situation in the two countries throughout this year.8Worldometerwww.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/armenia/Date accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar, 9Worldometerwww.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/georgia/Date accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar Finally, our Comment was written during the active phase of the war and submitted to The Lancet Global Health shortly after the last ceasefire agreement.3Kazaryan AM Edwin B Darzi A et al.War in the time of COVID-19: humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.Lancet Glob Health. 2020; (published online Nov 27.)https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109x(20)30510-6Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (11) Google Scholar We had little confidence in the agreement at the time of submission because the previous three attempts had failed. In this context, we refrain from unfounded accusations against any of the sides for breaching those ceasefire agreements.Our Comment was signed by dozens of distinguished doctors around the world and urged the international community to intervene to stop a war under an ongoing pandemic and provide support to the health-care systems to avoid or minimise the humanitarian catastrophe. Despite the ceasefire, the humanitarian and health-care issues raised in our Comment have not been solved. Once again, we call for the attention of the world to this issue, especially considering the persistent danger of war given that the truce between the sides is yet to be made.We declare no competing interests. We have read the Correspondence from Tahir Taghizade (the Ambassador of Azerbaijan in the UK)1Tahizade T Mr Tahir Taghizade, Ambassador of Azerbaijan in the UK, writes in response to “War in the time of COVID-19: humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia”.Lancet Glob Health. 2021; 9: e252Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar and Samir Babayev and colleagues2Babayev SN Hajiyeva S Baghirzada L et al.The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the politicisation of science.Lancet Glob Health. 2021; 9: e253-e254Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar regarding our recently published Comment.3Kazaryan AM Edwin B Darzi A et al.War in the time of COVID-19: humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.Lancet Glob Health. 2020; (published online Nov 27.)https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109x(20)30510-6Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (11) Google Scholar We are surprised to read that these authors are trying to change the primary focus of our publication from a humanitarian and health-care crisis around the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) into a political discussion about its background and history. We, health-care professionals, believe that we should rise above politics and focus on the humanitarian and health-care crisis, which was also the main focus of our Comment as an outreach to the international community to support the collapsing health care in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh due to a war during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thereby, any attempts to involve us in political speculations are futile and disappointing. We would, however, like to address some remarks made by Taghizade and Babayev and colleagues. We did not write this appeal to have a discussion on who threw the first or the biggest stone; there are surely enough reports on this.4Roblin S Tanks ablaze as Azerbaijani forces attack Armenian troops in disputed nagorno-karabakh. Jersey City, NJ: Forbes.https://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastienroblin/2020/09/27/tanks-ablaze-as-azerbaijani-forces-attack-armenian-troops-in-disputed-nagorno-karabakh/?fbclid=IwAR2rvFg7vNaYRDHxJj1vQJuUHnEWhMvCo01HWI2ZGXS6U5RRtWPt-__SW7o&sh=7eef357f2f90Date accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar, 5Abdulrahim R Turkish-backed Syrian fighters join Armenian-Azeri conflict.The Wall Street Journal. Oct 14, 2020; https://www.wsj.com/articles/turkish-backed-syrian-fighters-join-armenian-azeri-conflict-11602625885?fbclid=IwAR2_UVq7k8sYptF_pYmjIANn9JByPsWq_sKetaOto4lBpDRa6YpYVlzfjyEDate accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar The fact is that civilian people are suffering because of war during a pandemic. We strongly condemn the use of cluster bombs against the civilian population of any side of the conflict.6Human Rights WatchAzerbaijan: cluster munitions used in Nagorno-Karabakh.https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/10/23/azerbaijan-cluster-munitions-used-nagorno-karabakhDate accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar, 7Human Rights WatchArmenia: cluster munitions kill civilians in Azerbaijan.www.hrw.org/news/2020/10/30/armenia-cluster-munitions-kill-civilians-azerbaijanDate accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar Furthermore, the war did not exacerbate “the already severe COVID-19 situation in Armenia”, but became the new trigger. The data presented in our Comment about the COVID-19 situation before and during the war can be verified from open-access sources.8Worldometerwww.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/armenia/Date accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar As for the parallels between the COVID-19 situation in Georgia and Armenia from September, 2020, onwards, this comparison is inaccurate as it ignores the strikingly different epidemiological situation in the two countries throughout this year.8Worldometerwww.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/armenia/Date accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar, 9Worldometerwww.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/georgia/Date accessed: December 7, 2020Google Scholar Finally, our Comment was written during the active phase of the war and submitted to The Lancet Global Health shortly after the last ceasefire agreement.3Kazaryan AM Edwin B Darzi A et al.War in the time of COVID-19: humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.Lancet Glob Health. 2020; (published online Nov 27.)https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109x(20)30510-6Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (11) Google Scholar We had little confidence in the agreement at the time of submission because the previous three attempts had failed. In this context, we refrain from unfounded accusations against any of the sides for breaching those ceasefire agreements. Our Comment was signed by dozens of distinguished doctors around the world and urged the international community to intervene to stop a war under an ongoing pandemic and provide support to the health-care systems to avoid or minimise the humanitarian catastrophe. Despite the ceasefire, the humanitarian and health-care issues raised in our Comment have not been solved. Once again, we call for the attention of the world to this issue, especially considering the persistent danger of war given that the truce between the sides is yet to be made. We declare no competing interests. War in the time of COVID-19: humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh and ArmeniaAs a small country with a population of 3 million, Armenia has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and for several months was among the countries with the highest prevalence of COVID-19.1 On Oct 23, 2020, the number of confirmed cases was 70 836 and the number of new daily diagnosed cases reached 2484. As a result, Armenia is now the second country in the world with the highest number of new daily diagnosed cases per person (778 cases per million per day), overtaking only the Czech Republic (1321 cases per million per day). Full-Text PDF Open AccessThe Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the politicisation of scienceAirazat Kazaryan and colleagues (March, 2021)1 describe the unfortunate rise in COVID-19 cases in Armenia during the recent Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We would argue that this Comment is an attempt to politicise scientific data via misrepresentation of COVID-19 statistics, distortion of facts, and omission of important historical context. Full-Text PDF Open AccessMr Tahir Taghizade, Ambassador of Azerbaijan in the UK, writes in response to “War in the time of COVID-19: humanitarian catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia”I am writing to you in connection with the Comment by Airazat Kazaryan and colleagues (published online first Nov 27, 2020).1 It is true that among all three south Caucasian countries, Armenia is the one which is most seriously hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. I understand the concern of the signatories of the Comment in that sense. What I do not understand is their deviation into political science and distorted history of the conflict to support their cause instead of relying on medical science, which stands at the heart of their profession and The Lancet group's principles. Full-Text PDF Open Access