Newsletter of the Artsakh Government – Day 71 Under Blockade

Gas-heated schools will resume instruction; classes had been suspended due to Azerbaijan’s disruption of the gas supply to Artsakh

The Artsakh Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport announced given the partial restoration of the gas supply, pre-school and 1st-8th-grade classes in gas-heated public schools, extracurricular schools (music and art schools, creative centers for children and youth), and primary (craftsmanship) and secondary vocational educational institutions will resume instruction on February 20. Classes had been suspended since February 7 due to Azerbaijan’s disruption of the gas supply.

Azerbaijan periodically blocks the only gas pipeline serving Artsakh, creating an additional humanitarian crisis for the blockaded people of Artsakh. By cutting the gas supply, Azerbaijan causes issues with heating and other problems and also disrupts the operation of numerous gas-heated educational institutions, grossly violating the exceedingly important right of children to receive an education.

Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan held a virtual meeting with representatives of approximately 40 charitable organizations providing aid to Artsakh during the ongoing blockade 
 

Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan held a virtual meeting with representatives of approximately 40 charitable organizations providing aid to Artsakh during the ongoing blockade
 
Through the aid, wood-burning stoves were provided to 700 families in Stepanakert and diesel generators and electric batteries were purchased and installed for the water supply system serving Stepanakert and the regions. The generators are important for the uninterrupted functioning of the system in the absence of a stable electricity supply. 

The We Are Our Mountains regional development agency has also purchased and received from its partner organizations food products which are already in Goris and expected to be transported to Artsakh in the near future.

Within three months, the agency has implemented a number of programs aimed at serving the essential needs of the people of Artsakh and providing approximately 600 million AMD (over 1.5 million USD) in aid, thanks to more than 150 donors. The agency was founded by Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.

Evidence indicates Azerbaijan is stealing gas from the sole pipeline serving Artsakh 

On March 8, 2022, in the Zarsli section of the Shushi region, Azerbaijan blew up the only pipeline entering Artsakh from Armenia. Azerbaijan repaired the pipeline sometime later, without permitting ArtsakhGas employees to participate in the repair work.

According to Samvel Sahakyan, head of ArtsakhGas’s production and operation site in Stepanakert, after the gas pipeline resumed operation, it became clear that a valve had been installed and a side connection made, allowing Azerbaijan to steal gas from the pipeline.

“Starting from December 2022, Azerbaijan has blocked Artsakh’s gas supply eight times. In addition to this repeated blocking and unblocking of the pipeline, Azerbaijan has on many occasions partially disrupted the gas supply, for example by 50%, then raised the gas volume to 70%, then lowered it to 10%, and so on.  This type of partial disruption was done several times a day or every few days.

Overall, from December 12, 2022, to February 13, 2023, approximately 27 such incidents have been recorded,” said Mr. Sahakyan, expressing his belief that Azerbaijan is attempting to cause accidents and emergency situations and thereby create an atmosphere of fear among the population.

Update of daily statistics

7 children are in the neonatal and intensive care units of the children’s hospital.

14 adult patients are in the intensive care unit, 6 of whom are in critical condition.

273 children have been born under the blockade.

About 680 people have been deprived of the opportunity to receive necessary medical treatment due to suspensions of planned surgeries in all medical facilities of Artsakh.

As of today, 105 patients have been transferred from Artsakh to Armenia to receive appropriate medical care with the mediation and accompaniment of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

755 business entities (17.7% of the total) have suspended their activities due to the impossible operating conditions under the blockade, while the remaining operate partially or with state support.

At least 5,100 people have lost jobs and sources of income as a result of the impact on the economy.

More than 28,000 tons of vital supplies, which would have been delivered during the period of the blockade, have not reached Artsakh. Only a meager amount has since been delivered by the ICRC and the Russian peacekeeping forces.

Key facts

Since the beginning of the blockade, many countries and international organizations have condemned Azerbaijan’s actions and called for the lifting of the blockade. The issue was also discussed in the UN Security Council, the European Court of Human Rights obliged Azerbaijan to take all necessary and sufficient measures to end the blockade, and the issue will soon be discussed in the UN’s International Court of Justice (The Hague) within the proceedings of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade of Artsakh.

https://mailchi.mp/cdd03b89c6a7/day71en