Artsakh State Minister: The families of those killed in the explosion  at the fuel depot near Stepanakert are still the most vulnerable  group among Artsakh residents 

ArmInfo.  The families of those killed in the explosion at the fuel depot near Stepanakert are still the most vulnerable group among Artsakh residents, as they continue to lack status and their situation is being ignored by the  Armenian authorities. Artsakh State Minister Nzhdeh Iskandaryan made  this statement during a press conference in Yerevan, while presenting  the outcomes of the "Artsakh in My Heart" charitable foundation,  established to address the social needs of the internally displaced  population of Artsakh.

Iskandaryan recalled that the foundation was established because of  the lack of sufficient assistance from the Armenian authorities, who  had committed to providing social support to Artsakh refugees.  "However, the government's programs are yielding no results. To date,  less then 2,000 people have benefited from the Armenian government's  housing program for Artsakh residents,  demonstrating its  ineffectiveness," Iskandaryan noted.

The Artsakh State Minister said he was forced to appeal to a total of  25 organizations, including major Armenian taxpayers, 17 banks, and  four foundations, to somehow alleviate the difficult situation of  vulnerable groups. As a result, Iskandaryan noted, Russian-Armenian  businessman  Samvel Karapetyan responded to his appeal, providing  assistance to 238 families who lost loved ones  in the explosion at a  fuel depot near Stepanakert on September 25, 2023, during the mass  exodus, as well as 22 families of victims of the Azerbaijani  aggression that began on September 19, 2023. "In total, Samvel  Karapetyan supported 260 families, allocating 50,000 drams each," the  Artsakh State Minister said.

According to Iskandaryan, support was also provided by the  Artsakh  Freedom Fighters Union, which donated 5 million drams; businessman  and leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party Gagik Tsarukyan, donated 3  million drams; Levon Kocharyan, the son of Armenia's second  president, (with whom, according to Iskandaryan, an agreement on  periodic support was also reached - ed.) - 2 million drams; Artsakh  Bank, donated 1 million 600,000 drams; Ardshinbank covered the  tuition costs of three students from Artsakh, totaling 1 million  330,000 drams; and singer Sirusho (Levon Kocharyan's wife - ed.) - 1  million drams.  Additionally, anonymous donations were also received.  "The fund has provided assistance to 120 families with various social  and medical needs, specifically to citizens without legal status but  in dire straits, requiring chemotherapy and medication,"  the NKR  State Minister clarified.

Iskandaryan pointed out that he had tried to seek assistance from the  Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Plant and businessman Samvel  Aleksanyan's Alex Group, but both declined to help siting financial  constrains.. Iskandaryan emphasized that all these issues should have  been resolved by the Armenian authorities and that the ongoing  efforts are a consequence of the current situation. "We've contacted  the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Arsen Torosyan, as well as  deputy ministers responsible for various social issues, but we still  haven't received a single response. All of this is being done to  address the issue of Artsakh residents' rights. At the suggestion of  my compatriots, I've also contacted various Artsakh businesses, but I  haven't received a response yet," Iskandaryan said.  Despite the  current situation, the Artsakh State Minister stated the foundation's  intention to continue its activities, although he acknowledged that  in its current format, it cannot resolve all of Artsakh residents'  issues.