Certain Products in Artsakh to Be Sold Only with Coupons

The Information Headquarters of Artsakh has presented a government communiqué dated January 14-15, 2023. Starting January 20, rice, pasta, buckwheat, sugar, and oil will only be sold in Artsakh with coupons. Each citizen will receive nine coupons at a time. A single person will be allocated one kilogram of each food item and one liter of oil per month. The distribution of coupons will begin on January 17.

What does this mean?
Due to the blockade, the population of Artsakh is facing a severe shortage of food. The government of Artsakh is implementing a coupon system to distribute essential food products as equitably as possible.

Medical evacuations from Artsakh to Armenia continue to be carried out only through the International Committee of the Red Cross. Due to the blockade of the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia, a total of nine patients were transported to various specialized medical centers in Armenia between January 14-15, with the assistance and escort of the Red Cross. To date, 28 patients have been transferred from Artsakh to Armenia by the Red Cross.

Human rights defenders from Artsakh and Armenia have published an urgent report on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade of the Lachin corridor. On January 13, the Human Rights Defenders of Artsakh and Armenia released an updated urgent report on the humanitarian implications of the blockade. The report addressed the reaction from international organizations, officials, and media to the Lachin corridor issue, statements from high-ranking Azerbaijani officials regarding the blockade, signs of ongoing ethnic cleansing, the humanitarian crisis triggered by the blockade, new data substantiating the false nature of the actions of 'eco-activists,' and direct links to individuals who unlawfully closed the road with the Azerbaijani government.

A meeting was held between the foreign ministers of Artsakh and Armenia. Newly appointed Foreign Minister Sergey Ghazaryan of Artsakh and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan of Armenia discussed the situation created in the Republic of Artsakh due to the blockade of the Lachin corridor.

Daily Statistical Updates
Fourteen children are in the neonatal and intensive care units of the children's hospital. Nine adult patients are in intensive care, five of whom are in critical condition. A total of 132 children have been born amidst the blockade. Due to the halt of planned surgeries in all medical facilities operating under the Ministry of Health of Artsakh, approximately 400 citizens have been deprived of the opportunity to undergo surgery for health issues. To date, 28 patients have been transferred from Artsakh to Armenia for appropriate treatment with the facilitation and escort of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

A total of 726 businesses (17.7% of the total) have suspended their operations due to the impossibility of working under the blockade conditions. Due to the difficult economic situation, at least 3,400 people have preliminarily lost their jobs and sources of income.

More than 14,000 tons of essential goods would be sent to Artsakh if it were not for the blockade, of which only a negligible amount has been supplied by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Russian peacekeeping forces.

Important Facts
Agents of the Azerbaijani government have been holding 120,000 residents of Artsakh hostage under blockade conditions with terrorist actions for 36 days. As a result of the blockade, the 120,000 residents of Artsakh (including about 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly, and 9,000 persons with disabilities) are suffering multiple deprivations and face the risk of starvation.

Due to the escalating shortage of food under the blockade, 41 kindergartens, 56 preschool groups, and 20 long-term educational institutions have closed. 6,828 children can no longer attend kindergarten, preschool, and long-term schools, depriving them of access to proper care, nutrition, and education.

Since the start of the blockade, many countries and international organizations around the world have condemned Azerbaijan's actions and called for the end of the blockade. The issue has also been discussed in the UN Security Council, and the European Court of Human Rights has compelled Azerbaijan to take all necessary and sufficient measures to end the blockade. The matter will soon be discussed in the International Court of Justice (Hague) within the framework of the proceedings of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.