Due to the 44-day war, the village of Taghavard in the Martuni region of Artsakh got divided, with Azerbaijanis occupying various positions along the border passing through the village. Despite the unabated sounds of gunshots, the residents continue to live in Taghavard as it is their home. They cultivate the land in front of the enemy, not knowing whether the next bullet, whistling through the air, will find them or not. Despite the challenging and perilous circumstances, 23-year-old Mary Alaverdyan cannot help but long for her village. It has been two weeks since she could not return home from Stepanakert because, on the other hand, the blockade reveals its cruel and inhumane nature. I'll write "blockade", you can comprehend the various words associated with it.

Mary works in Stepanakert, but due to the lack of fuel and non-operational transportation, finding a car to visit the village has become impossible. On the contrary, while everyone in the village has their own garden and collects a certain amount of harvest, there is hardly any food left in the city. The shops are completely empty, with nothing left to buy. The only remaining food items are potatoes, occasional eggs, and pumpkins. People now only leave their homes to buy bread, but unfortunately, there is not enough bread being baked to meet everyone's needs. Previously, it was possible to bring crops from the villages, but now it is not happening due to the lack of fuel. There are no dairy products left at all," Mary says, noting that the situation in bread queues is worsening, and the lack of cars makes it challenging for people to access bakeries.

The situation in the villages is relatively less difficult because people can manage to obtain bread and make better use of the harvest from their gardens.

Mary Alaverdyan

"Even the coffee is about to run out," Mary says with a gentle smile that can be felt through the phone. "Whenever we have some candy, we divide it into five parts to ensure everyone gets a share," she says.

According to Mary, in the evenings, while walking around Stepanakert, they see many people carrying children in their arms. This sight gives them hope to endure till the end and gather the strength needed to overcome this challenging time. She says that there have been numerous wars with countless victims, and considering the people and children living in Artsakh, it would be unfair to simply give up and leave. 

Since December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan has closed the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia - the Lachin corridor. On April 23, 2023, the Azerbaijani side blocked the Hakari Bridge on the Artsakhi-Armenian border, an area under the responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in the Lachin corridor. This action further exacerbated the existing humanitarian crisis. An Azerbaijani checkpoint has been established on the Hakari bridge. Since June 15, Azerbaijan has imposed a complete ban on all humanitarian transportation along the Lachin corridor. After that, the ICRC was only able to transport patients from Artsakh to the Republic of Armenia on a few occasions. On July 29, Azerbaijan abducted a 68-year-old citizen, who was being transferred to Armenia with the mediation of the ICRC for treatment, at a checkpoint near the Hakari bridge and transported him to an unknown location. On August 1, Azerbaijani servicemen abducted another citizen who was attempting to travel on foot from the Artsakh village of Hin Shen to Armenia. As of now, his whereabouts remain unknown.  

Essential food and medicines are almost completely depleted in Artsakh. The coupons issued months ago for purchasing products have become worthless, given the emptiness of the stores. People go out only to buy bread. Artsakh has run out of fuel, resulting in the complete halt of public transport. Private cars rarely operate due to the scarcity of fuel. Gas supply experiences periodic interruptions, there are frequent power outages. A total of 120 thousand people, including 30 thousand children, are currently under a complete blockade in Artsakh.

Photos are provided by Mary Alaverdyan 

Hayarpi Baghdasaryan