Newsletter of the Artsakh Government – Day 110 Under Blockade

1. The Azerbaijani armed forces continue to fire at the residents of Artsakh villages, obstructing agricultural work

The Azerbaijani side has been violating the ceasefire regime with increasing frequency, targeting the civilian population.

As reported by the Artsakh Ministry of Internal Affairs Police, on March 30 around 08:30, the Azerbaijani armed forces fired at two residents working in vineyards in the Berdashen community in the Martuni region. A little later, while carrying out agricultural work with a tractor in the same community, one villager was targeted by servicemen serving in an adjacent Azerbaijani combat position.

Again, on the same day, at around 10:40 am, irregular shots were fired from Azerbaijani positions with rifles at 6 residents of Taghavard village, who were doing agricultural work in a wheat field.

Agricultural work was stopped due to the incidents. Fortunately, there were no casualties. The information was passed on to the Russian peacekeeping troops.

2. On the night of March 30, the Azerbaijani armed forces closed the Goris-Stepanakert highway between Aghavno and Tegh villages.

As reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Artsakh, the new Tegh-Kornidzor dirt highway for Syunik province put into operation in August 2022, which bypasses the closed road and connects to the new Kornidzor-Hin shen road (“Berdzor (Lachin) Corridor”, is ready. 

Asphalting work of the Tegh-Kornidzor road are in process by the Republic of Armenia.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs informs that the Tegh-Kornidzor dirt road is passable and, taking into account the ongoing blockade of Artsakh, it is possible to carry out humanitarian suppl toy delivery to Artsakh by Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross. That road, on the border of the Republic of Artsakh, near the Hakari river bridge, is controlled by Russian peacekeeping troops.

3. Due to the terrorist behavior of the Azerbaijani side, the villages of Shushi region are completely cut off from the capital of Artsakh and other settlements.

Since March 25, the Stepanakert-Ghaibalishen-Lisagor mountain dirt road, which is used for urgent communication with the Shushi region’s Hin Shen, Mets Shen, Yegtsahogh and Lisagor communities, can no longer be used for security reasons, because the armed forces of Azerbaijan, violating the points of the tripartite declaration of November 9, took the road under direct fire control.

For this reason, the mentioned communities face serious humanitarian challenges, making it impossible to receive medical aid, food and other humanitarian services from Stepanakert. Additionally, as reported by the heads of the communities, the emergency services of Artsakh are not able to provide necessary and timely assistance to the villagers. Compounding the problem is the fact that those from the villages of Shushi region, who work in Stepanakert, are currently out of work. There are also students who are currently studying in Stepanakert and are deprived of the opportunity to visit their parents who live in the mentioned villages.

4. The Foreign Ministry issued a comment regarding Azerbaijan’s proposal to hold a meeting with the representatives of the Republic of Artsakh in Baku in early April

In particular, it states:
“The conditions proposed by the Azerbaijani side regarding the place and agenda of the meeting, as well as the context in which the proposal was made, indicate that the goal of the Azerbaijani authorities is not to have genuine discussion on existing problems, but to disrupt a possible dialogue or to impose their own political agenda through coercion, a blockade creating unbearable living conditions and the use of military force.

We reaffirm our readiness, in line with the established practice of previous meetings, to meet with the representatives of Azerbaijan with the mediation and at the deployment site of the command of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent in Artsakh to discuss issues of ensuring the normal life activity of the people of Artsakh and the proper implementation by the parties of their obligations, in particular, those related to the unimpeded functioning of the Lachin Corridor. “

5. .On March 28, 14 patients were transferred to Armenia by the International Committee of the Red Cross

Another 11 patients, who were referred to Armenia for treatment within the framework of the state order, returned to Artsakh with accompanying persons.

Transfer of patients from Artsakh to Armenia continues to be carried out exclusively with the mediation and escort of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

As of March 30, a total of 229 patients were transferred from Artsakh to Armenia by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

6. In the near future, the work of issuing new coupons for the purchase of some products will start.

Taking into account the shortage of food, a special coupon system has been launched in Artsakh since January 20, within the framework of which pasta, buckwheat, rice, sugar, oil, fruit, vegetables, eggs, as well as washing powder from non-food products are sold in a limited volume.

From March 30, preparations for the issuance of new coupons began. Previously issued coupons can be used until April 10, and new coupons can be received by anyone, regardless of the circumstances of using the old coupons.

7. The Human Rights Defender held meetings in the Parliament of Uruguay

Gegham Stepanyan, Ombudsman of the Artsakh Republic, visited the Parliament of Uruguay and met with members of the Senate and representatives of local Armenian structures.

Gegham Stepanyan presented the humanitarian situation in Artsakh as a result of Azerbaijan’s actions and the human rights violations caused by it.

Update of daily statistics

About 980 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, 229 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 186 times (1,453 entries and exits instead of 269,500 in 110 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 46 times less vehicle movement was recorded on the Lachin Corridor than it would have been without the blockade (instead of 101,200 in 110 days, 2,234 vehicles, exclusively those of the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers, entered and exited)․

About 12 times less vital goods were imported than should have been due to the blockade (3,823 tons instead of about 44,000 tons in 110 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 44 days, and electricity supply has been completely disrupted for 81 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 210 million US dollars, leading to decline of the predicted annual GDP index (903 million dollars) by more than 23 percent.

Key facts

Since December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan has blocked all free movement of people, vehicles and cargo, with the exception of the International Committee of Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers, along the Lachin Corridor.

As a result of Azerbaijan’s terroristic crimes, the 120,000 people of Artsakh experience severe shortages of food, medication, fuel and many other vital products. They also face dire issues related to heating, education, healthcare and other basic areas of life, creating a serious humanitarian crisis and violation of fundamental human rights.

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.

To further isolate and exacerbate the crisis caused by its blockade, Azerbaijan has attacked Artsakh’s civilian critical infrastructure, regularly interrupting the sole gas supply into Artsakh and fully disabled electricity supply since January 9. 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.

The details of the severe consequences of the blockade are provided in the most recent report by Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman), titled: Report On The Violations Of Individual And Collective Human Rights As A Result Of Azerbaijan’s Blockade Of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) (100 Days)”.
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. European Parliament also adopted a strong resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the Artsakh blockade. The European Court of Human Rights ordered Azerbaijan to take all necessary and sufficient measures to end the blockade. Furthermore, the UN International Court of Justice (The Hague), as part of the proceedings of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, on February 22, 2023, ordered Azerbaijan to lift its blockade and ensure the unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles, and cargo along the Lachin Corridor. However, since then Azerbaijan has done nothing to implement the binding ruling of the highest international judicial institution, even more, has caused additional violations against the Artsakh people, including killing 3 policemen with an ambush attack and constantly escalating the situation with use of force and threat of force.

https://mailchi.mp/33427b531950/day110en