Newsletter of the Artsakh Government – Day 103 Under Blockade

The Azerbaijani side opened fire on civilians carrying out agricultural work

The Artsakh Ministry of Internal Affairs Police reported that on March 22, around 09:30am, 7 residents of Chartar city were targeted by gun fire by the Azerbaijani armed forces while doing agricultural work in the vineyards located in the area of “Klazin Dzor”.

Azerbaijani combat positions opened irregular fire adjacent to the orchards, from different types of firearms at civilians, as a result of which the agricultural works were stopped. The information was passed on to the Russian peacekeeping troops.

In recent days, the Azerbaijani side has regularly violated ceasefire by firing at civilians carrying out agricultural work.

The Azerbaijani side once again blocked the sole gas pipeline entering Artsakh, depriving the population of gas supply.

At midnight on March 21, the Azerbaijani side once again blocked the sole gas pipeline feeding Artsakh, depriving the people of Artsakh of the opportunity to use natural gas while under blockade. 

In current conditions of severe fuel shortages and frequent power outages, gas supply disruptions affect both ordinary citizens who use natural gas for cooking, heating apartments and meeting other primary needs, as well as state services that carry out humanitarian service in the fulfillment of their mission.

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has spread more disinformation 

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has spread another disinformation allegeding the Armenian side, accompanied by Russian peacekeepers, transported troops and ammunition along the Stepanakert-Ghaibalishen-Lisagor forest road.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh informs that only civilians and humanitarian goods are transported between the settlements of Artsakh, accompanied by peacekeeping troops. Russian peacekeepers fulfill their functions, as scheduled in 2020 with the tripartite declaration of November 9. Taking into account the ambush attack on Artsakh police on March 5 and the increased security risks, the Russian peacekeepers help ensure the safe movement of civilians and goods.

Healthcare sector officials presented issues and severe operational restrictions faced by the healthcare system due to the blockade

There is a severe shortage of medicines and medical supplies, due to which all scheduled operations are suspended and reserve medication is prescribed only for acute cases.

With the support of the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers, it became possible to import a small amount of medicines and medical supplies, but the situation remains critical.

There is a significant shortage of narrow specialists, but due to the blockade, the visit of specialists invited within the framework of state and charity programs to Artsakh is impossible.

Patients regularly receiving treatment in Armenia are also deprived of the opportunity to move freely through the corridor. Only ICRC can transfer them. Hundreds of patients are still waiting for their turn, many in intensive care units.

ICRC vehicles transport patients who can only be transported in a sitting position, and severely ill patients, such as those in a coma or connected to artificial respiration devices for extended periods, which makes it impossible to transport them in a sitting position

On March 21, 9 patients were transferred to Armenia by the International Committee of the Red Cross

Another 9 medical patients, who were referred to Armenia for treatment within the framework of the state order, returned to Artsakh with their companions.

Transfer 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 March 23, a total of 203 patients were transferred from Artsakh to Armenia by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“Artsakh. 100 days of blockade” the official overview-conference

On March 23, the Artsakh Republic Government Information Center organized a press conference on the 100th day of Azerbaijan’s blockade of Artsakh, with the remote participation of State Minister Gurgen Nersisyan, Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Ghazaryan.

The speakers presented the security and humanitarian crisis caused by Azerbaijan’s blockade of the only road connecting Artsakh with the outside world (Lachin Corridor) since December 12, as well as relevant official positions and assessments regarding the situation.

On March 20-22, the Human Rights Council of Artsakh took part in the human rights conference in Argentina

Gegham Stepanyan presented the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh in 2020 and the grossest violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the discussion under the title “Violations of human rights and threats of genocide” organized within the framework of the forum.

National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh held another session on March 23

The MPs discussed the amendment to the Constitution of the Republic of Artsakh, which was presented in the second reading. The Standing Committee of the National Assembly on State and Legal Affairs did not receive a recommendation on the project after the first reading. The Parliament voted unanimously to approve the Constitutional amendment.

The Speaker of the National Assembly presented the draft of the National Assembly decision on applying to the Supreme Court to determine the compatibility of the amendment with the Constitution. It was approved with 32 votes in favor. The discussion of the matter was suspended pending a response from the Supreme Court.

State Minister of Artsakh Republic, on March 22, met with the members of the Public Council attached to the President

During the meeting, the Minister of State noted that the core of the work of the Public Council in the current difficult period should be proper public control, and also emphasized the importance of increasing the efficiency of the Public Council, emphasizing that it, as an advisory body, should primarily ensure the dialogue between the state and society.

On the same day, the Minister of State also received the members of the NGO “Officers of the Reserve Army of Artsakh”. The Minister of State listened to the issues of concern to the officers of the Artsakh reserve army, which were related to security, restoration of justice in the country, issues of housing security for the officers’ families, the policy adopted by the state in social and cultural spheres.

Update of daily statistics

About 930 people have been deprived of the opportunity to receive necessary medical treatment due to suspension of planned surgeries in all medical facilities of Artsakh.

As of today, 230 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. Due to the Red Cross not having an ambulance and only being able to transport patients with an ordinary vehicle, it is not possible to transport patients needing to lay down because Azerbaijan has obstructed the movement of Artsakh ambulances.

Around 3,900 people, including 570 children, have been separated from their homes as a result of the blockade, however, some have already returned home with the assistance of the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers.

No citizen traveled freely along the Stepanakert-Goris highway, and the number of two-way movement of people along the Stepanakert-Goris highway decreased by about 178 times (1,376 entries and exits instead of 252,350 in 103 days), and took place only with the support of the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers.

Not a single car of Artsakh citizens passed through the blocked road, and  almost 43 times less vehicle movement was recorded on the Lachin Corridor than it would have been without the blockade (instead of 94,760 in 103 days, 2,191 vehicles, exclusively those of the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers, entered and exited)․

About 11 times less vital goods were imported than should have been due to the  blockade (3,707 tons instead of about 41,200 tons in 103 days have been delivered  and only exclusively by the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers).

During the blockade, Azerbaijan completely or partially interrupted the sole gas supply into Artsakh for a total of 37 days, and electricity supply has been completely disrupted for 74 days. This has led to six-hour daily blackouts and additional emergency shutdowns, resulting in many facilities closing or curtailing operations.

782 business entities (18.3% 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 estimated 9,800 people (including state-supported temporary work placements and more than 50% of private sector workers) have lost jobs and sources of income as a result of the impact on the economy from the blockade and disruptions of vital infrastructure 

Construction work of 32.6 kilometers of roads, tens of kilometers of water lines, irrigation systems for thousands of hectares of land, 3,717 apartments, and more than 40 social and industrial infrastructures have been stopped.

During the blockade, the economy of the Republic of Artsakh suffered a loss of around 190 million US dollars, leading to decline of the predicted annual GDP index (903 million dollars) by more than 21 percent.

Key facts

Due to the shortages in food, 20 long-day educational institutions have been working partially since January 9, and in different periods, instruction of kindergartens and schools were also completely or partially stopped.

Since the beginning of the blockade, several types of food, specifically almost all types of vegetables and fruits, which were imported from Armenia, have faced drastic shortages and eventually became unavailable. Considering the shortages of food, a special coupon system has been in effect in Artsakh since January 20. Within the coupon system, limited volumes of pasta, buckwheat, rice, sugar, oil, fruits, vegetables, eggs, as well as non-food products like washing powder, are sold.

Since January 9, the only high-voltage power line between Armenia and Artsakh has been cut in the territory under Azerbaijani control. The Azerbaijani side does not allow Artsakh specialists to enter and restore the power supply. Taking into account that the volume of domestic electricity production, currently run on hydropower, is much less than consumption, and the water resources of the Sarsang reservoir are decreasing, rolling blackouts have been instituted. From January 10 Artsakh switched to 2-hour blackouts, from January 17 to 4-hour blackouts, and since January 21 residents experience 6 hours of blackouts each day.

Since the beginning of the blockade, many countries and international organizations have condemned Azerbaijan’s actions and called for the lifting of the blockade. This issue was also discussed in the UN Security Council while the European Court of Human Rights ordered Azerbaijan to take all necessary and sufficient measures to end the blockade. The issue will soon be considered in the UN International Court of Justice (The Hague) as part of the proceedings of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

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