Before the forced displacement of the inhabitants of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in September 2023, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade on the region. The Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Artsakh to Armenia, was closed in December 2022, which meant that the entire population, some 120,000 people, was isolated from the rest of the world for ten months.

I was one of those trapped by the blockade, enduring its unyielding grip. Yet even in the darkest hours, I held fast to the belief that each small act of resistance, every quiet sacrifice, brought us one step closer to safeguarding the future of our homeland.

During the blockade, schools were forced to close due to a lack of funding, food, gas or electricity. Children’s right to education was undermined, and the number of deaths increased.

Despite these inhumane conditions, young people did everything to be useful to their homeland; the desire to live and preserve our homeland was above all.

Community resourcefulness

Sargsyan realised the urgent need to do more when the situation became increasingly dire over summer 2023. Shops were empty, people stood in line for hours for a few morsels of bread. Many of the elderly weren’t able to do this and were forced to return home empty-handed. 

“Our elders were persevering, and despite the challenges, I felt a call to step up and help,” Sargsyan said, referencing a Bible verse from Isaiah 6:8: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”

“This verse embodied the sense of purpose I felt – to be the change, to be the support, to stand with those who felt alone and helpless,” Sargsyan continued. “It wasn’t just an option; it was a responsibility that I couldn’t ignore.” 

Sargsyan and her team helped by delivering bread to shops across the city, aiming to reduce the long lines at the bakeries and ensure that shops further away had access to bread.

As the blockade persisted and flour supplies ran out, the bakeries eventually shut down. In response, Front Artsakh set up public cafeterias where people who had nothing left at home could come for a meal. 

Sargsyan’s volunteer group then began delivering meals from the cafeteria directly to people’s homes. Since these homes were spread across the city, their deliveries sometimes arrived closer to dinner than lunch, but they did everything they could to ensure the elderly received the food they needed.

By July 2023, Azerbaijan imposed stricter limitations on the blockade. The situation became so urgent that people were dying, including two children, and the weight of that reality was overwhelming.

In the capital Stepanakert, the resilience of the human spirit shone through even the bleakest of moments. Sargsyan recalled a day that was particularly unforgettable. 

“I was on my last delivery in an area we call Paralelni,” she shared. “When I arrived, the neighbor of the elderly woman I was delivering food to told me that she had passed away during the night. I remember just sitting down on a nearby rock, and it hit me so hard – I cried like never before during the blockade.” 

But despite the darkness, there were also moments of warmth and connection. Sargsyan and other volunteers would read to the elderly or simply listen to their stories about life, first loves, or even read love letters from their youth. 

“It felt like none of us were simply helping someone else’s grandma (babo) or grandpa (dedo) – they all became part of our family,” Sargsyan said.

“We grew to love them deeply, and being there for them became a personal commitment. The purpose behind our work kept us going, and that sense of shared family made it impossible to give up.”

The agony of leaving Artsakh

On 19 September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a full-scale military invasion against an already depleted and systematically starved Artsakh, which led to the de facto ethnic Armenian government’s surrender two days later. 

Later that week, Azerbaijani authorities lifted the blockade, prompting more than 120,000 Artsakh Armenians to flee for their lives and take refuge in Armenia and elsewhere.

“After enduring untold hardship and living in unbearable conditions, we were forced to leave our homes and our beloved homeland – not by choice, but by the unforgiving forces of war,” said Sargsyan, who experienced the devastating loss first-hand. 

“We walked away from everything that had shaped our lives – our childhood, our memories, our very essence – leaving behind not just a land, but the heart of who we are. It wasn’t just a place; it was our life, our everything.”

International response

Two months after the forced displacement, the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ), issued a legally binding order requiring Azerbaijan to allow ethnic Armenians to return to Artsakh. 

Armenia claims that Azerbaijan has committed “ethnic cleansing” in the region, a claim that the latter denies. In November 2024, the UN announced that it had jurisdiction to consider the rival cases between the two countries. 

Sargsyan explained what the ICJ’s ruling meant to the Artsakh displaced: “This means international recognition of our right to return, as well as guaranteed security and protection for the people of Artsakh. 

“It requires real efforts toward justice and accountability for the violence we’ve faced, along with strong international support for rebuilding our homes, communities, and infrastructure. Only then can we create a future where Artsakhtsis can live freely and thrive in our homeland.”

In November, Azerbaijan hosted the most recent UN Climate Conference, COP29, which it dubbed the ‘COP Truce’, while urging nations to halt military operations for the duration of the conference. Climate activist Greta Thunberg slammed Baku over its ‘greenwashing’ attempts: it has jailed Azerbaijani peacebuilding activists and continues to hold Armenian POWs hostage in the country, including Ruben Vardanyan and other ex-Artsakh politicians. 

Sargsyan added: “For a year, we looked death straight in the eyes, but we never regretted being born and living in Artsakh. My fight isn’t over, as long as I exist… I have promised myself to never lose hope, even at the sunset of my life, because I must once again see and feel the warm sunrises of my homeland.”