Angelina Manukyan from Artsakh is on hunger strike for the third time in front of the UN office in Armenia. Her entire family – parents, brothers, husband’s parents – is in Artsakh, and she has been deprived of meeting them for nine months.
“It is impossible to do nothing and sit at home because I know what is happening in Artsakh not from the words of some people or the news but from my own family. I learned about the hunger strike of the “Women for Artsakh” initiative from the websites and came and joined. We want to keep the attention towards Artsakh and show the real situation. Specifically, I have specific demands from the United Nations. We know that the United Nations implements specific humanitarian programs. It is not clear why the same programs cannot be implemented in the case of Artsakh,” said Angelina, noting that, at the moment, the demand is primarily to deliver food and medicine because in Artsakh, in general, there is nothing: “My younger brother is nine years old. He has asthma problems, but finding the necessary medicines is a big problem. The eldest of my brothers stands in line for bread at night; the youngest stands in line in shops during the day. Yes, the priority right now is to deliver food, but that is not the solution. The issue does not end once the humanitarian burden has been provided and the disaster is postponed for a few days; the case does not end. The main thing for an Artsakh citizen is the right to live in dignity in his country, to achieve which he is ready to endure this comprehensive siege, hunger, and deprivation. I am now in front of the UN office, but I always ask the rally organizers why we are gathering in Azatutyun- Freedom Square. Why don’t we go to the government and demand from the person responsible for us? First, an answer should be demanded from the head of the country. The people do not agree with the 29,800 square meters that the Prime Minister is talking about; Artsakh cannot be part of Azerbaijan.
I am the wife of Yakov Sargsyan from Artsakh, who died in the 44-day war. My husband went to war so that his family, me and his parents, could live in Artsakh today. He was killed on November 5 in Sghnak, near Shushi. And, what my husband and thousands of others like him did, Nikol Pashinyan destroys with one signature and two irrelevant words. Children of men who went to war to create decent living conditions for their children do not have food, electricity, gas, etc. today. Who should we ask for? Of course, first of all, from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.
And finally, why am I now in Yerevan, not in Artsakh? My husband was moved and buried in Yerablur. I also came to Yerevan with him to always be by his side. During the day I come, I participate in the hunger strike in front of the UN; in the evening, I go to my husband’s grave,” said the hero’s widow.
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Ashot HAKOBYAN
