Schools Reopened in Almost All Communities of Martakert

The urgent issue of housing provision persists in the Martakert region of Artsakh. This was reported by Haik Bakhshiyan, the head of the Martakert regional administration, in a conversation with Armenpress.

“During the war, 70-80% of the residential buildings in Martakert were partially or completely damaged due to rocket shelling by Azerbaijani armed forces. Notably, the number of houses that were completely destroyed is relatively small. Mostly, the roofs and windows of apartment buildings and private homes have been damaged. 50% of the Martakert urban population has returned, along with 90% in the villages. These figures are currently on the rise,” he said.

Bakhshiyan informed that polyethylene sheets are being provided to temporarily cover the windows of the residences for those resettling, and efforts are underway to repair the damaged housing stock, although progress is slow due to supply chain issues with construction materials.

“In total, 360 families from Martakert's villages that have passed under Azerbaijani control have also been resettled in the region. Together with the residents of Talish and Mataghis, the number of families left homeless reaches 500. To accommodate them, a proportional number of new apartments will be required. To address the issue, we also plan to purchase and provide apartments to those residents whose owners have not lived here for years,” elaborated the head of the Martakert regional administration.

According to him, schools have reopened and are operational in almost all communities of the Martakert region, except for two villages. Currently, there are 1,476 students enrolled in the region's schools, down from the pre-war figure of 3,367.

Regarding the restoration of the damaged infrastructure, he stated that 75-80% of the gas supply has been restored in Martakert, while the electricity supply has been almost completely restored.

“Currently, communication systems in Martakert are in poor condition. There is no internet as of yet. We are having difficulty making calls to phone numbers in the Republic of Armenia, and conversely, they cannot call us,” Bakhshiyan noted.