Today, more than 15,000 forcibly displaced people live in Artsakh under blockade, with construction of their housing suspended: Artsakh Ombudsman’s Message

The Human Rights Defender of Artsakh, Gegham Stepanyan, has issued a statement on the occasion of World Refugee Day. ‘World Refugee Day is an opportunity to once again talk about the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced persons. Although the rights of thousands of Armenians who find themselves with the status of refugees and forcibly displaced persons due to Azerbaijan’s aggressive actions have been raised on various platforms, the issues raised have unfortunately not received the necessary attention from the international community.’

‘As a result of the massacres and displacements that occurred in Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad, and other locations in Soviet Azerbaijan, as well as the aggressive war unleashed against Artsakh in the 1990s, more than 500,000 Armenians have become refugees, who, unfortunately, have not received the necessary attention and support pertaining to their status until today.’

‘The Azerbaijani aggression in the autumn of 2020 led to the forced displacement of around 40,000 citizens of Artsakh, resulting in people losing their home, land, and property. Among them are individuals who have already been displaced for the third time due to Azerbaijan's ongoing aggression.’

‘Sheltering mainly in other settlements of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia, they continue to face many social and psychological problems more than two and a half years after the war, at every turn in their daily lives, both in Armenia and Artsakh.’

‘Today, more than 15,000 forcibly displaced individuals live under blockade in Artsakh, struggling against both the consequences of displacement and the siege.’

‘As a result of the blockade, the construction of about 3,700 housing units designated for them has been suspended due to the lack of imported building materials in Artsakh. People continue to live in temporary accommodations, hotels, and dormitories.’

‘Due to the challenges faced by the state budget of Artsakh as a result of the blockade, approximately 30,000 forcibly displaced persons in Armenia and Artsakh requiring temporary accommodation are not receiving timely monthly compensation for housing rent, significantly worsening their social situation and housing conditions.’

‘Amid the constant disruption of vital infrastructure, malnutrition, lack of essential goods and services, and security threats stemming from Azerbaijan's actions, the mental health of refugees and forcibly displaced persons is further deteriorating, in addition to their already existing psychological issues.’

‘These are just some of the issues. A report on the rights and issues of forcibly displaced individuals and refugees is being prepared by the Ombudsman’s staff, which will be published soon, detailing all the existing challenges.’

‘The international community, represented by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, must take immediate measures to ensure the protection of the rights of Armenian refugees and forcibly displaced persons,’ the statement concludes.