Residents Displaced from Karkop Have Not Yet Returned to Their Community

Residents displaced from Karkop have not yet been able to return to their homes. The moisture levels in residential buildings are still quite high, and they need to dry out before any renovations can take place. This was stated to Factinfo by the administrative head of the Karkop community in the Lori region.

As previously reported, Karkop was covered by approximately 1 to 1.5 meters of water due to floods that occurred on May 25-26, and all residents were evacuated from the area. According to the mayor, residents are currently living temporarily in other communities, and he believes that they will be satisfied with the compensation approved by the Armenian government.

"I think it will be sufficient; only a few apartments that were repaired may not have their costs covered, which could lead to some dissatisfaction, but overall they will be satisfied. In my calculations, the amount will even exceed the needs for more than half of the affected apartments as they were not in good condition prior to this," said Hermine Petrosyan.

She added that specialists have assessed the buildings for emergency safety and concluded that they are not at risk of collapse, except for one building that was previously considered hazardous.

"However, there is a moisture issue. Renovations cannot begin at this moment; the buildings need to continue drying out," Petrosyan noted, emphasizing that the urgent matter is addressing residential properties, while concerns about land plots and garages still need to be addressed in the compensation regulations.

In response to questions, the mayor also mentioned that they have cleaned the land plots from sludge and disinfected them.

It is worth noting that the Armenian government approved the compensation procedures for residents affected by the disaster during its meeting on July 4. According to the procedures, damages suffered by residents of multi-story apartment buildings or individual homes, as well as personal belongings, will be compensated. Issues regarding other damages will be addressed in the near future.

To apply for compensation and receive funds, individuals can submit applications electronically between July 15, 2024, and September 30, 2024. Clarifications on the application details will be provided, and formats will be developed.