Many families forcibly displaced from Artsakh live in the “Aghajanyan” camp of Toros village, Ashotsk. Eighty-six people as of now, although the number is constantly changing. Some families leave the temporary accommodation and host new ones. Starting September 27, 100 people were accepted, and then the number increased to 154.
Mkrtich Babayan, head of the support program for forcibly displaced people from Artsakh of the “Armenian Caritas” charitable organization, informed us about this.
The camp has both stone structures and huts. The yard is large, green, and comfortable for children to play outside; the rooms are bright and modernly furnished, with separate bathrooms. All expenses are exclusively covered by “Armenian Caritas”: accommodation, three meals a day, and utilities. This benevolent structure also bought and installed washing machines to meet basic needs.
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“It is a stressful situation; there is a lot of tension among these people, they are still in shock, at the first moment they are trying to go from place to place, having contact with relatives, friends, neighbors, everyone is trying to find more favorable conditions and prospective accommodation. That is why the movement continues until today: they go and come. For example, yesterday, a family of six moved to us from Yerevan. And we don’t know how tomorrow will be,” said Mkrtich Babayan.
Despite the comfortable conditions and caring attitude, many families are still uncertain. They don’t know how long all this will continue.
43-year-old Ashot Lazaryan, who had never been to Gyumri, let alone Toros village, moved to this camp with his wife and three minor children. They sent him from Goris to Gyumri and from Gyumri to Toros village. He is delighted with the conditions and the attitude, but he has yet to learn what the future will be like. He was in the military and knows trades, but he still can’t find a suitable job. According to him, the salary is meager; it is around 100-150 thousand drams, which is not enough to support a large family and to be present in Armenia.
“The given help, the money, should be enough for three months. I’m trying to get a job. They offer 100-150 thousand drams. How will I pay the rent to solve the electricity and gas issues? The children will grow up; I am responsible for their future. They are children; let’s say they get sick, what should I do? I am not saying that I lived a luxurious life in Artsakh, but I was not unhappy; I was the only one who worked in my family; we lived normally. I can’t imagine how it will be; we can’t always live in the camp, bothering these people. I like to work, to create; this situation is unusual for me,” says our interlocutor.
Nune AREVSHATYAN
