Over 90% of Berdzor and Akhavno residents evacuated

All the residents have left the Nerkin Sus community; several families still stay in Berdzor and Akhavno, the head of the Kashatag District has informed. Local residents complain that they were given little time to find new housing and move everything they had acquired over more than 20 years.

The administration of the Kashatag District of Nagorno-Karabakh has reported that residents of Berdzor and the village of Akhavno must leave their houses by August 20. According to the Mayor of Berdzor, on August 18, about 70 people stay in the town. All the Akhavno villagers decided to leave; two of them burned their houses down, the head of the village has informed.

The houses built during the time when these dwelling settlements were not controlled by Azerbaijan should be demolished, Imdad Alizade, a journalist, believes.

All the residents of the Nerkin Sus community have left; as well as more than 90% of residents of Berdzor and Akhavno, Musheg Alaverdyan, the head of the administration of the Kashatag District has informed. According to his story, it is planned to turn off electricity, gas and communications in the villages of Akhavno and Nerki Sus and in the town of Berdzor.

Andranik Chaushyan, the head of the Akhavno community, has sent his family, wife and five children along with their belongings to Stepanakert. According to his story, almost everyone was evacuated in Akhavno, women and children have left. "Now there are up to 30 people staying in the village, mostly those who transport the rest of their property," Mr Chaushyan has added.

Aida Balikyan, the owner of a retail outlet in Berdzor, was indignant that authorities had drastically reduced the deadline by five days – instead of August 25, they announced August 20.