SOS-a flash mob in Stepanakert’s Revival Square to attract the attention of the outside world
Posted on August. 6. 2023
At the initiative of the “Ararich” charity foundation, a group of young people organized a flash mob in Stepanakert’s Revival Square to attract the attention of the outside world.
“There is a humanitarian crisis in Artsakh. The long blockade has paralyzed the entire healthcare system. the rate of early pregnancy loss has increased.
Shops and pharmacies are empty. Baby care supplies and food have run out. Agricultural works are carried out under enemy fire, and due to fuel shortage, agricultural products do not reach consumers. Harvesting is carried out partially and in the conditions of periodic violations of the ceasefire.
This is not all. The situation is becoming more catastrophic day by day,” said the Facebook page of the “Ararich” charitable foundation.
About 1,710 citizens have been deprived of the opportunity to receive necessary medical treatment due to the suspension of planned surgeries in all medical facilities of Artsakh increasing by about 10 cases in the last 2 days.
As of today, 655 patients have been transferred from Artsakh to Armenia to receive appropriate medical care with the mediation and accompaniment of the International Committee of the Red Cross and another 70 accompanied by Russian peacekeepers to receive appropriate treatment. As a result of additional Azerbaijani obstacles to ICRC activities, movements were suspended for almost a month in May. After resumption, ICRC activities were again suspended on 15 June and then resumed with some interruptions and additional obstacles.
Around 3,900 people, including 550 children, have been separated from their homes as a result of the blockade, however, some have already returned home with the assistance of the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers.
No citizen traveled freely along the Stepanakert-Goris highway (Lachin (Qashatagh) corridor), and the cases of two-way movement of people decreased by about 215 times, and only with the support of the Red Cross and RF peacekeepers (instead of 561,050 people in 229 days, 2,614 entry and exit. In the last 2 days, 24 cases of exit and entry of citizens were registered).
Not a single vehicle of Artsakh citizens passed through the blocked road, and the movement of vehicles was almost 72 times less than it should have been without the blockade (instead of 210,680 2,936 vehicles entered and exited in 229 days, and that only by Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers). That means 5 entries and exits of only ICRC vehicles were recorded in the last 2 days.
About 16 times fewer vital goods were imported by the Red Cross and Russian peacekeepers than should have been without the blockade (5.715 tons instead of about 91,600 tons in 229 days, 0 tons in the last 2 days).
During the blockade, Azerbaijan completely or partially interrupted the sole gas supply into Artsakh for a total of 162 days and the electricity supply has been completely disrupted for 200 days. This has led to daily blackouts and additional emergency shutdowns, resulting in many facilities closing or curtailing operations.
Since the blockade, 1,450 businesses (33.9% of the total number) have suspended their activities due to their inability to operate, while 2,827 businesses are operating partially. These partially operational businesses either have an insignificant share of production capacity or are receiving state support.
An estimated 14,600 people (including state-supported temporary work placements and more than 80% of private sector workers) have lost jobs and sources of income as a result of the impact on the economy from the blockade and disruptions of vital infrastructure. Recently, the unemployment rate has been increasing rapidly.
Construction work of 32.6 kilometres of roads, tens of kilometres of water lines, irrigation systems for thousands of hectares of land, 3,717 apartments, and more than 40 social and industrial infrastructures have been stopped.
During the blockade, the economy of the Republic of Artsakh suffered a loss of around 435 million US dollars, leading to the decline of the predicted annual GDP index (903 million dollars) by more than 48 per cent.