evidence: Nagorno-Karabakh is a long-disputed enclave in Azerbaijan that had been primarily populated by ethnic Armenians and led by Armenian de-facto authorities since December 1991. On 19 September 2023 Azerbaijani armed forces launched a military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh under the pretense of "anti-terror measures" and regaining regional control of the territory. Over a 24-hour period Azerbaijani forces launched attacks using heavy artillery, drones and mortars, killing hundreds of people, including some civilians, and reportedly damaging civilian infrastructure. The escalation of hostilities ended on 20 September with a ceasefire that included provisions for the Armenian de-facto authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh to disband and disarm its local defense structures. The cessation of hostilities was followed by a decree signed by the President of Nagorno-Karabakh, Samvel Shahramanyan, to fully dissolve Nagorno-Karabakh’s ministries and other agencies by 1 January 2024. The decree also called for the local population to "familiarize themselves with the conditions of reintegration presented by the Republic of Azerbaijan" and make "an independent and individual decision" on whether to stay or leave the region. Following the cessation of hostilities, over 88,700 refugees fled to Armenia in less than a week, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). As of 16 October, a reported 101,848 people, including 30,000 children, had fled, constituting more than 80 percent of the estimated 120,000 inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh. More than 170 people were killed and nearly 300 injured during the mass exodus when a gas station exploded on 26 September. The cause of the blast remains unclear.