YEREVAN, January 12. /ARKA/. Cash withdrawals from ATMs and POS-terminals in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) has been restricted to no more than 50,000 drams ($126) per day, the Artsakh Information Center said.
According to it, the restriction was imposed to regulate the flow of cash after cash circulation problems have arisen due to the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan.
The cashing of large sums of money by the population led to a decrease in the volume of cash circulation, in connection with what the state minister ordered to take measures to regulate the situation, it said.
The Lachin corridor, which is the sole road linking Karabakh with Armenia. It has been blocked by Azerbaijanis since December 12. Azerbaijanis pose as “environment activists” raising the alarm about “eco-terrorism” in Karabakh caused by ‘illegal’ operation of local mines.
In the meantime, 120,000 people in Nagorno-Karabakh are on the verge of a humanitarian crisis, including 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly people and about 9,000 people with disabilities.
Some 1,100 people, including 270 children and 350 people with disabilities and health issues, cannot return to their families from Armenia. One person died due to the impossibility of transportation to Armenia, a 4-month seriously ill baby and 16 adult patients were transported to Armenia by the ICRC, 10 thousand tons of humanitarian cargo were transported from Armenia to Armenia through the ICRC and 18 people (including 8 children) need medical assistance in Armenia.
Stocks of food, medicine and fuel are running out. The government has introduced ration stamps.
On January 10, Nagorno-Karabakh government had to resort to rolling blackouts after a high-voltage transmission line supplying power from Armenia was knocked down.
The local power grid operator Artsakhenergo said the breakdown occurred in a territory controlled by Azerbaijan, which does not allow Karabakh repair tams to visit the site for repair.
Artsakhenergo said a decision was made to supply electricity from local generating stations with restrictions. -0-
