Newsletter of the Artsakh Government – Day 73 Under Blockade

Healthcare authorities discuss the most severe issues faced by the system as a result of the blockade

Medicine supplies at the Stepanakert Maternity Hospital, Children’s Hospital, and Republican Medical Center are extremely low, as the blockade has made it impossible to import the needed quantities of medical supplies. There is especially a lack of basic medicines intended for women. 

There are issues with heating. Medical institutions are heated with on-site boilers, and the sporadic gas and electricity outages are creating additional difficulties in providing care to patients. 

All planned procedures, including surgeries and examinations, have been suspended in order to preserve limited medicines and medical supplies.

The healthcare system suffers from a lack of medical professionals, which included specialists coming from Armenia and other countries before the blockade. For more than two months now, dozens of doctors who would regularly come to Artsakh and provide medical care through charity programs have not been able to do so.

Eight patients transported to Armenia by ICRC

Another five patients, who had been sent to Armenia for treatment, returned to Artsakh with their accompanying persons.

The transport of patients from Artsakh to Armenia continues to be carried out exclusively with the mediation and accompaniment of the International Committee of the Red Cross. As of February 21, a total of 113 patients have been transferred from Artsakh to Armenia by the ICRC.

State Minister Ruben Vardanyan gave an interview to French periodical Le spectacle du monde 

“We are living on the land of our ancestors. This is where our history is, our culture, our religion. We want to preserve our identity. This would not be possible if we were citizens of Azerbaijan. All of this is so important that we must remember the tragedies of the 20th century. We must avoid any further tragedy. It’s better to avoid them than to have to deal with their consequences later. And that’s why I have hope that the pressure on Azerbaijan will continue, preventing it from continuing what it started,” noted Ruben Vardanyan.

The full text of the interview can be found here.

Update of daily statistics

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

7 adult patients are in the intensive care unit, 3 of whom are in critical condition.

279 children have been born under the blockade.

About 700 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, 113 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 28,800 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.

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