On April 24, marking the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Noubar Afeyan, co-founder of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, has made an urgent global plea to prevent what he fears could be the onset of a second Armenian genocide. In a significant move to garner international attention, Afeyan voiced his call to action through prominent global media outlets and platforms.

Afeyan’s stark warning is rooted in recent escalations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, particularly over the contested region of Nagorno Karabakh, known to Armenians as Artsakh. According to Afeyan, since September of the previous year, Azerbaijani military actions have resulted in the expulsion of 120,000 Armenians from this region, erasing an entire population from their ancestral lands.

He further highlighted troubling developments, including the continued detention of Armenian citizens and prominent figures like Ruben Vardanyan, a businessman and philanthropist, by Azerbaijani forces. Vardanyan’s custody, following a brief tenure as the state minister of Artsakh, underscores the increasing tension and the peril faced by Armenians.

Afeyan criticized the Azerbaijani government for its posture towards Armenia, suggesting that despite Armenia’s cessation of self-governance efforts in Nagorno-Karabakh subsequent to last year’s conflicts, Azerbaijan still demands concessions over Armenia’s internationally recognized borders. Such demands, Afeyan argues, could potentially lead to an invasion of Armenia itself, contravening international law and principles of justice.

This poignant call to action serves as a grim reminder of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, where 1.5 million Armenians were systematically expelled and killed by the Ottoman Turks. It is on this harrowing historical backdrop that the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative was founded in 2015. The initiative commemorates the memory of the genocide victims and extends gratitude to those who helped save Armenian lives, aspiring to transform this gratitude into a global movement of humanitarian aid and recognition.

Central to the initiative’s vision is the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. This esteemed award, offering $1 million to its laureates, celebrates individuals worldwide who risk their security to save others, reinforcing the principle of intervention in the face of injustice—a principle profoundly resonant with Afeyan’s recent appeals.

The progression of events in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict warrants close international scrutiny and intervention to prevent further escalation that could lead to significant loss of life and stability in the region. With his call to action, Afeyan not only seeks to prevent a historical tragedy from repeating but also to awaken the international community to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Caucasus.