Social and Economic Damages Suffered by Artsakh Due to War: Artak Beglaryan

On September 27 last year, following the war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, around 110,000 people were displaced from Artsakh, and in the post-war period, an additional 39,000 people were displaced. This information was provided by Artak Beglaryan, head of the Artsakh Republic Presidential Administration, during the 'Partnership for Artsakh' conference organized by the 'Aurora' humanitarian initiative, where he presented the damages suffered by Artsakh as a result of the war.

“Currently, 39,000 individuals are not only displaced but are also homeless and have numerous needs—educational, psychological, health-related, etc. In addition to the displaced, there are families of the deceased, injured individuals, missing persons, and captives, all of whom have varying needs—both social and health-related,” said Beglaryan, adding that all these individuals fall under the care of the state and the 'Aurora' humanitarian initiative.

He noted that additional studies are being conducted by the Artsakh government and various professional groups to assess the damages and needs more comprehensively, which will be reported and summarized in a more professional manner.

Addressing the territorial and infrastructural damages, the head of the presidential administration elaborated that out of 228 communities in Artsakh, 120 have fallen under Azerbaijani control. “These communities also represent infrastructures and economic opportunities. In the communities that remain under our control, there have been numerous infrastructural damages—residential houses have been destroyed, economic infrastructures, electricity and gas supply connections, and road infrastructures, among others. These have created and continue to create additional humanitarian issues,” said Beglaryan.

Discussing the economic damages incurred due to the war, he mentioned that the GDP of Artsakh was more than 342 billion drams in 2019, while in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war, it decreased by 22.4% to 270.9 billion drams. For 2021, it is forecasted at 224.005 billion drams, which is about 35% lower than the 2019 figures. “This alone is already a significant consequence and creates humanitarian, social, and various other issues,” emphasized the head of the presidential administration, adding that various efforts are being made by the governments of Artsakh and Armenia, as well as by the 'Aurora' humanitarian initiative and other partners to solve these problems.