Sarsang Reservoir Drying Up Will Have Serious Consequences, Says Artsakh Foreign Ministry

The drying up of the Sarsang reservoir will result in serious environmental consequences for the entire ecosystem of the region. The residents of Artsakh, as well as certain areas of Azerbaijan, will be deprived of the water resources necessary for normal livelihood. This was stated in a press release by the Artsakh Foreign Ministry.

“It has been almost 5 months since the blockade of the Republic of Artsakh has continued, accompanied by an illegal transport and energy blockade, and is one of the main tools of Azerbaijan's systematically implemented ethnic cleansing policy at the state level.

Within the framework of this policy, the Azerbaijani side is attempting not only to create unbearable socio-economic conditions but also to artificially provoke an environmental disaster and undermine the foundations of sustainable development in Artsakh.

In particular, the Azerbaijani side is obstructing the repair of the only high-voltage power line from Armenia to Artsakh in the Artsakh- Berdzor section. To deepen the energy crisis, the Azerbaijani side has regularly disrupted the operation of the gas pipeline from Armenia to Artsakh. It has been 2 months since the last disconnection.

As a result, the hydroelectric station on the Sarsang reservoir became the only available option to alleviate the energy crisis, but the ongoing policy of blockade and energy blockade by the Azerbaijani authorities led to an unprecedented amount of water being released from the reservoir to produce the necessary electricity for the besieged residents of Artsakh during the cold winter.

Artsakh authorities have repeatedly drawn the attention of the international community to the fact that the continued deliberate blockade of natural gas and electricity supplies from Armenia to Artsakh by Azerbaijan will have catastrophic consequences, particularly for the Sarsang reservoir, which is the largest and vital source of freshwater in Artsakh.

By creating preconditions for the drying up of Sarsang and provoking an environmental disaster, the Azerbaijani authorities pursue several aims, including creating unbearable living conditions in Artsakh and preparing the ground for accusations of irresponsible use of water resources as a pretext for new military provocations.

We again emphasize that due to Azerbaijan’s illegal and aggressive ongoing actions, the humanitarian situation in the Republic of Artsakh is sharply deteriorating, as is the overall geopolitical situation in the region.

In this extremely dangerous situation, we consider it essential to ensure the strict implementation of the provisions of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, as well as the immediate and decisive intervention of the international community, foremost the UN Security Council, to prevent further mass and systematic violations of human rights in Artsakh and to halt Azerbaijan's criminal plans and genocidal intentions.”