On March 5, Azerbaijani authorities informed the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of their decision to close its office in the country, citing a "lack of necessity" for its presence. Additionally, the government requested the closure of four UN agency offices.

The ICRC confirmed that it is engaged in confidential discussions with the Azerbaijani government regarding the matter. According to state-controlled APA News Agency, Azerbaijan’s State Border Service suspected the ICRC of using ambulances for "smuggling purposes," which may have influenced the decision.

On March 4, APA reported that the Azerbaijani government had also appealed to four UN agencies—the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)—proposing the closure of their offices in Azerbaijan. The government argued that there was no justification for these agencies to continue operating in the country. The report suggested that Azerbaijan’s move would allow the UN to allocate its limited financial resources to crisis zones where they are most needed.

Additionally, the article claimed that these international organizations had shown reluctance to cooperate with the Azerbaijani government. It stated that UNHCR refused to work with Azerbaijani internally displaced persons, arguing that its mandate only covers refugees. The report also alleged that the UNDP office in Azerbaijan functioned more like an NGO than a UN body, violating Azerbaijan’s Law "On Grants" by conducting financial transactions not with NGOs but with LLCs linked to NGO members or their relatives.