Two video stories about the life of people in NK after the blockade of the Lachin corridor

Video stories about the blockade in NK

Video stories about how people live in the unrecognized NKR under the blockade, since on December 12, an action of Azerbaijanis began on the only road connecting the region with Armenia and the outside world. They declare themselves environmental activists and demand the right to monitor local mines, as well as a meeting with the commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed here after the 2020 Karabakh war.

Karabakh Armenians are trying to convey to the world that for the third month already 120,000 people have been living in the blockade, 30,000 of them are children. “The residents of Nagorno-Karabakh actually ended up in the status of prisoners,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in connection with this situation.

In two videos, local residents tell their stories. More on the political context of the situation below.

An ordinary family in a new reality

Journalists of the local Public Television made a report for JAMnews about the life of an ordinary family living in the capital of the unrecognized NKR.

“It’s the story about the family of Arev Israelyan. Her son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren live with her, replenishment is expected – the third will be born soon.

Since mid-January, some products in NK are sold on coupons: sugar, rice, pasta, vegetable oil. But not everyone can buy them, because due to the blockade, some organizations and enterprises have closed, people have lost their jobs and do not receive salaries. More than five thousand people found themselves in this situation, and state assistance programs were launched for them.

Arev’s family is among those lucky enough that neither she nor her son lost their jobs. Her son works in a car service. Gas and electricity are constantly cut off during the days of the blockade, and she only worries that he does not catch a cold.

It is warm in Arev’s house, the son again installed a wood-burning stove in the house, which was used during the war. And neighbors who do not have a stove come to them to warm themselves.

The whole story is in the video.

“We have us” – life in virtual reality

“We have us” is the name of a Facebook group that local residents created during the blockade. It exists for only two months, but is known much more than any other communities. When shops and pharmacies were almost empty, and it became difficult for people to solve ordinary household issues, this group came to the aid of everyone.

Its participants exchange information and transfer products to each other. Elina Balasanyan is one of the members of the group. She tells how they help her, how she herself tries to be useful to others.

Elina says that recently the situation has become more and more difficult, people are looking for a way out and the number of group members continues to increase.

How people help each other to survive the blockade, find the right goods and exchange with those who need them more – in a video report about the We Have Us group.

Political Context of the Situation

Since the beginning of the blockade, shortages of food, medicine, basic necessities, and fuel have been reported. If earlier 400 tons of food and medicine came here from Armenia every day, now a much smaller amount of humanitarian aid comes.

It is imported through the mediation and on the vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Russian peacekeepers stationed here.

The Azerbaijani authorities say that there is no blockade, the authorities have nothing to do with the actions of the protesters, and the Lachin road is under the control of not Azerbaijani, but Russian peacekeeping forces.

“There is no blockade on the Lachin-Khankendi road. Since December 12, 2022, about 980 vehicles have been transported along this road, of which more than 850 belonged to Russian peacekeepers, and over 120 belonged to the International Committee of the Red Cross […]. About 90 patients living in Karabakh and people in need of medical care have been transported to Armenia,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.

“The statements of the Azerbaijani side that the Lachin corridor is actually open are completely groundless,” the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in response. – Only a limited number of patients in case of a life-threatening situation are allowed to be transported to Armenia and only by Red Cross vehicles. In front of the eyes of the whole world, Azerbaijan is forcing the population of Nagorno-Karabakh into forced deportation, continuing its policy of ethnic cleansing.”

The locals themselves say that the humanitarian crisis is getting worse. Armenian human rights activists and doctors claim that as a result of blocking the Lachin corridor, the right of residents of NK to receive medical assistance has been violated.

Although critically ill patients who need specialized treatment are transported to Armenia through the mediation of the Red Cross, all this time elective surgeries are not being carried out in the unrecognized NKR. One of the patients of the local clinic died in the first week, he could not be transported to Armenia in time.

From the very first days of blocking the corridor, the Armenian government has been declaring the responsibility of the Azerbaijani authorities and the peacekeeping contingent. In Yerevan, they say that the obligation to ensure unhindered movement along the Lachin road is entrusted to them according to a tripartite statement signed by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has also openly accused Russian peacekeepers of inaction more than once and stated that Russia is not fulfilling its obligations.

The reaction of the international community

Various international organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, Amnesty International, are calling for the unblocking of the Lachin corridor.

“Immediately open the Lachin corridor and continue to refrain from blocking transport, energy ties and communications between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh” – these are the requirements addressed to Baku by the European Parliament in a resolution on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade of NK.

On February 22, the International Court of Justice granted Armenia’s request for interim measures and ordered Azerbaijan to ensure unhindered movement along the Lachin corridor:

“The Republic of Azerbaijan […] must take all measures at its disposal to ensure the unhindered movement of persons, vehicles and goods along the Lachin corridor in both directions.”

However, the International Court of Justice rejected Armenia’s claim that the Azerbaijani authorities had organized and directed the action. There is also no requirement in the court decision to stop the protest action.

At this point, there has been no visible change. The road remains closed.

With the support of Russian Language News Exchange

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Video stories about the blockade in NK