Nagorno-Karabakh: Latchin residents flee to the town of Goris

Audio 01:26

Smoke rises in the sky after the bombing of the town of Stepanakert by the Azerbaijani army on October 24, 2020 (illustrative image).

AP Photo

Text by: RFI Follow

4 min

With the continuing fighting and the Azerbaijani army continuing to advance in the south and near the Latchin corridor, the main passage between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, the inhabitants are fleeing the bombardments.

Many have found refuge in Goris, the first major city after the Armenian border.

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With our special envoys,

Anastasia Becchio

and 

Richard Riffonneau

A young woman tries to calm her infant at the entrance to the food aid distribution center.

With her seven children, she arrived two days ago from Latchin.

We couldn't stay there anymore

 ," she slips into a smile mixed with sadness and apologizes for not having the heart to speak.

16-year-old Suren pulls a large bag full of food towards her.

This young inhabitant of Goris has been volunteering here for 1 month.

“ 

Our soldiers are dying at the front, and we help as best we can, while we wait for our turn to also go to the front.

Opposite they have drones, they have equipment, but we have the spirit,

 ”explains the young man.

In a large hall, cans, bags of flour and rice are stored.

Every evening, trucks from all over Armenia deliver the food collected through donations.

The lines drawn, Irina Ioulian, deputy mayor of Goris supervises food aid distribution operations

“ 

It's been over a month since the war started and since then the volunteers, the population, have been working day and night to try to alleviate the pain of our guests.

Almost all the men of fighting age have gone to defend the homeland.

These young people here are minors, but they do a job as important as our men on the front, they are in a way defending the rear

 , ”she explains.

Refugees now represent nearly 10% of the population of Goris.

Most of them want to stay here, near the border, so as not to stray too far from their loved ones on the front lines.

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  • Nagorno-Karabakh

  • Armenia

  • Azerbaijan

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