92 Azerbaijani IDP families returned to Agdam

Today, 332 members of Azerbaijani families who fled the Karabakh conflict returned to the city of Aghdam.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Azerbaijanis from Karabakh settlements were forced to flee their homes after the start of the First Karabakh War. The return of Azerbaijani displaced persons began after Azerbaijan took control of these territories. By March 11, 7,541 families (30,261 people) had returned to 41 settlements in the former Karabakh conflict zone.

Today, 92 families (332 people) of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) returned to the city of Aghdam, APA reports.

These families previously lived temporarily in various regions of the republic, primarily in dormitories, sanatoriums, and administrative buildings, Report writes.

I was 34 years old when we were forced to leave Aghdam.

Former internally displaced person Banovsha Imanova said that she is returning to her hometown today with her family. "My family and I are returning to our native land, to our home. I was 34 years old when we were forced to leave Aghdam. Now I am 68 years old," the agency quotes her as saying.

Fizuli Shukurov, who is also returning to Aghdam today, admitted that his emotions cannot be fully expressed in words. He noted that this day was one of the most important in the life of his family, the agency writes.

Let us recall that in November 2023, Following the end of hostilities, Azerbaijani authorities announced plans to return 34,500 families (140,000 people) to the former Karabakh conflict zone by the end of 2026. Despite the construction of roads, energy facilities, and housing, the pace of resettlement is being hampered by mine danger, a lack of jobs, and unresolved land use issues, analysts noted in April 2026.

Azerbaijani residents who returned to Karabakh previously told the "Caucasian Knot" that they are settling in and finding work. Despite ongoing problems with employment and infrastructure, displaced persons report improved living conditions.

For example, Rashid Aliyev, whose family returned to the village of Khydyrly in the Agdam region in the summer of 2025, reported that his retired parents were provided with a separate two-room house, while he, his wife, and three children were given a three-room house. "Each house was allocated a 12-hectare plot of land. Some planted flowers, others trees. But most, like me, created mini-farms for livestock. I built a barn and a chicken coop. I have four cows, a bull, a dozen rams, twenty chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. The conditions here are excellent for livestock farming," Aliyev said.

Earlier, Azerbaijani displaced persons complained about the difficulties of returning to Karabakh. In particular, they noted a shortage of jobs in Fuzuli. People are seeking opportunities to return to their homelands, but IDPs noted that property issues in the territories under Azerbaijani control have not yet been resolved.

On September 19-20, 2023, Azerbaijan conducted large-scale military operations and took control of Nagorno-Karabakh, which began a mass exodus of the Armenian population. By October 7, 2023, 100,632 internally displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh had arrived in Armenia, and by September 2024, only 14 Armenians remained in the region. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report entitled "The Beginning and End of the Unrecognized Republic of Artsakh".