68 Azerbaijani families have returned to the former Karabakh conflict zone.

Two hundred ninety-nine members of Azerbaijani families who fled during the Karabakh conflict returned today to Khojavend, the village of Girmizi Bazar, and the village of Khanoba. The displaced persons spoke of their excitement at returning to their homeland decades later.

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, 2026, 7,541 families (30,261 people) had returned to 41 settlements in the former Karabakh conflict zone.

Today, 39 families of former IDPs (176 people) were sent to the city of Khojavend, 16 families (63 people) to the village of Girmizi Bazar, and 13 families (60 people) to the village of Khanoba in the Khojavend district, APA reports.

These families were previously temporarily resettled in various parts of the country - mainly in dormitories, sanatoriums, and administrative buildings, writes Report.

Returning to their homeland after decades has excited the displaced persons.

Former internally displaced person Shafiga Abbasova returned to the village of Khanoba today. "We are returning to our homeland after 30 years. I was 29 then. We lived in the village of Khirdalan. Now we are returning to our native land together with our three sons and daughters-in-law. I am very happy; I can hardly speak for excitement," the agency quotes her as saying.

Glavdiya Yusifova also noted that she has not been to her homeland for more than 30 years. "I was 35 years old then, my children were still small. […] I am very excited and happy to be returning home. Thank God, this was destined for us – we are returning to our homeland. We are moving to the village of Gırmızı Bazar," she told the agency.

As a reminder, on September 19-20, 2023, Azerbaijan launched 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".

Mine danger and a lack of jobs are hindering resettlement to Karabakh

In November 2023, shortly after 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 hampered by mine danger, job shortages, and unresolved land use issues, analysts noted in April 2026.

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

For example, Rashid Aliyev, whose family returned to the village of Khidirly in the Aghdam region in the summer of 2025, said 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 in the territories under Azerbaijani control, property issues have not yet been resolved, IDPs noted.

Azerbaijani analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" pointed out that simply providing housing for IDPs returning to their cities is not enough. The authorities must create jobs and build infrastructure, they emphasized.