Azerbaijan welcomes over 20 families with keys to new houses in Ballija village UPDATE

Keys to new apartments have been handed over to 22 families who recently relocated to Ballija village in Azerbaijan's Khojaly district. 

The officials from the Azerbaijani State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, as well as representatives from the Azerbaijani president’s office in Khankendi, Aghdara and the Khojaly district attended the ceremony, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

A total of 95 individuals, comprising 22 families, received their keys to new houses, marking another significant step in the resettlement process. With the latest group of families settling in Ballija, the number of families who have found permanent housing in the village has reached 112, or 562 individuals.

The village has become a key site for accommodating former internally displaced people (IDPs) who have faced long-term displacement. This relocation effort highlights Azerbaijan's continued commitment to providing support and stability for displaced communities, offering them not just houses but a fresh start in a new community.

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Another group of former internally displaced people (IDPs) has been relocated to Ballija village in Azerbaijan’s Khojaly district, as part of ongoing resettlement efforts in the region. 

A total of 22 families, consisting of 95 individuals, have arrived in the village as part of the latest relocation initiative. This move is part of the broader efforts to address the housing and livelihood needs of displaced populations in the area, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Currently, around 40,000 people reside in Karabakh and East Zangezur, which includes both previously displaced individuals and those involved in the region’s recovery. These residents are engaged in a range of activities, including working on various regional projects, serving in local branches of state organisations, and contributing to different sectors of the local economy.

The ongoing resettlement efforts aim to restore stability and support the development of the region by providing displaced families with permanent housing and opportunities for integration into local communities. 

Ballija village has been under Armenian occupation since 1992. It was liberated during the one-day local anti-terrorist operation conducted on September 19-20, 2023 by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces to neutralise illegal Armenian armed formations and their military infrastructure in the Karabakh region.

The resettlement comes after a prolonged period of hardship for Khojaly, which was occupied on the night of February 25-26, 1992, during a tumultuous period in the region's history. The occupation was marked by the tragic events of the Khojaly genocide, where Armenian forces committed atrocities against Azerbaijani civilians. 

During the attack on Khojaly, the Armenian armed forces killed 613 ethnic Azerbaijanis, including 106 women, 63 children, and 70 elderly people. They took 1,275 people as hostages. Some 150 Azerbaijani nationals went missing, and their fates remain unknown to this day. Those suffering major injuries totalled 487, including 76 children. The bloodshed facilitated Khojaly’s invasion, which fell under Armenia’s occupation on February 26, 1992.

By Naila Huseynova