70% of Hospitals in Artsakh Suffer Serious Problems Due to Gas Heating, Says Stepanyan

The Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Artsakh has released a report on human rights violations resulting from the intentional disruption of vital infrastructure in Artsakh by Azerbaijan. This was noted by Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan on his Facebook page.

The report presents evidence of widespread and large-scale violations of the rights of the people of Artsakh due to deliberate disruptions of essential infrastructure by Azerbaijan, including gas supply pipelines, electrical lines, and telecommunications and internet wires, which place the civilian population on the brink of humanitarian disaster amid continued blockade.

In harsh weather conditions, where the average temperature in the Artsakh region hovers around -2 to +2 degrees Celsius, occasionally reaching -5, residential houses, temporary housing for displaced persons, various educational and healthcare institutions, private enterprises, and state agencies primarily use gas for heating. Disruptions in gas supply deprive the population of heating and hot water.

Since January 9, the import of electricity has also been halted due to Azerbaijan blocking repairs to high-voltage lines coming from Armenia. Residents are supplied with locally generated electricity, which, due to insufficient capacity, provides power based on a 6-hour rotational shutdown schedule, making it nearly impossible to replace gas heating with electric heating.

The disruptions in gas supply and limited electricity availability directly affect food organization in households. Starting January 19, state institutions have shifted to a short working regime to conserve electricity, negatively impacting the provision of essential services to the public and the organization of public life.

The current situation has greatly impacted the normal organization of the educational process in Artsakh; all educational institutions in the republic have suspended their educational activities due to the lack of heating, violating the right to education for over 20,000 children. The humanitarian crisis has also affected the normal functioning of the healthcare system. About 70% of healthcare organizations and hospitals relying on gas for heating are facing serious heating issues. Currently, 156 patients, including 45 children, are receiving inpatient care there.

Hundreds of enterprises engaged in economic activities are also suffering significant losses due to interruptions in gas supply. In conditions of gas supply disruptions and limited electricity, there is an observed increase in the use of firewood by the population to ensure heating and other vital conditions, which means that the already limited forest resources will suffer serious losses.

Furthermore, there have been problems concerning the proper operation of public transport and waste management in communities, due to the fact that the vehicles and equipment used for public transport and waste collection operate on gas, gasoline, and diesel, and energy shortages exist under blockade conditions.

The report has been sent to international organizations and human rights institutions.