In September 2023, a humanitarian crisis unfolded as approximately 120,000 Armenians were forced to flee their homeland. This mass exodus marked a significant decline in the population of Artsakh, which had already been severely impacted by the 2020 war. Before the conflict, Artsakh was home to over 145,000 people. By the fall of 2023, this number had dwindled to 112,000, as noted by former State Minister of Artsakh, Artak Beglaryan.
The scale of the losses in Artsakh is staggering. On September 18, 2024, the Genesis Armenia analytical center released comprehensive statistics detailing the devastation. The region has lost 12 cities, 241 villages, 11,450 apartments, 13,550 houses, 60 factories, 15 enterprises, 385 churches, 400 medieval cemeteries, 25 museums, 37 hydroelectric power stations, 48 mines, 4 reservoirs, over 5,000 cultural monuments, 232 schools, 4 universities, 7 colleges, 5 stadiums, 11 sports schools, and an equal number of hospitals.
The Armenian heritage in Artsakh is teetering on the brink of obliteration. The Cultural Heritage Watch (CHW) project has been meticulously documenting the destruction via satellite imagery since 2020. In June 2024, a report highlighted the alarming increase in the destruction of cultural heritage sites. From autumn 2023 to spring 2024, the total number of destroyed cultural heritage sites surged by 75%, and the number of sites at risk of disappearing rose by 29%.
This crisis is not just a loss of human life and property but a profound cultural tragedy. The rich tapestry of Armenian history, embodied in the churches, cemeteries, museums, and monuments of Artsakh, faces the threat of permanent erasure. The international community must recognize and respond to this cultural and humanitarian catastrophe to preserve the legacy of Artsakh for future generations.
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