Violation of the Global Ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabagh: A Viral Amplification of Aggression

Abstract

On March 23, 2020, the United Nations (UN) made an Appeal for a Global Ceasefire following the Outbreak of Coronavirus. Despite this appeal, the Nagorno-Karabagh war was instigated on September 27, 2020. This Guest Editorial frames the conflict in the context of the UN appeal and by introducing a figure that plots seven-day average coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases overlaid with key inflection points to illustrate the clear impact that conflict has had on pandemic spread in Armenia. The conflict in Nagorno-Karabagh provides a timely, concise, and illustrative example of conflict and its impact on health. Finally, an argument is made that the ability to enforce the UN Appeal for a Global Ceasefire is essential to ensure global health and security.