Stores in Artsakh start selling foods by ration stamps
YEREVAN, January 20. /ARKA/. Some 200 stores in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) capital Stepanakert and 400 stores in other parts of Artsakh began today accepting ration stamps from the population to sell five types of essential foods, provided from the state reserve. The Artsakh State Revenue Committee and the State Inspectorate Committee will be monitoring the prices.
Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan thanked the government agencies today for the organization of the process in a short time and stressed the importance of feedback from the population, as well as from suppliers and retail outlets. He said foods should be distributed as evenly as possible to the stores.
Vardanyan discussed today also the situation with power supply, which remains tense after a power transmission line bringing power from Armenia was damaged at a section controlled by Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan does not allow Karabakh repair teams to viist the damage site. Because of rolling blackouts and lack of natural gas supply the number of accidents in the grid has increased, resulting in breach of power supply schedules.
State Minister asked head of government agencies to submit proposals about how to ensure the livelihood of the population and overcome the humanitarian crisis.
The only road connecting Artsakh and Armenia has been blockaded by Azerbaijan since December 12, 2022. Before the blockade about 400 tons of food was supplied to Artsakh from Armenia daily. About a thousand people (including several dozen children, have been separated from their families.
All planned surgical operations are suspended. After pressure from the ECHR, following the death of a seriously ill person in a Stepanakert hospital, and thanks to the mediation of the International Red Cross, some patients are being transferred by special convoys to medical centres in Armenia.
Kindergartens and schools were closed because it is not possible to provide food for children. Thus, 120,000 people (including 30,000 children and 20,000 elderly) are on the verge of a humanitarian crisis. -0-
