It’s the 24th day of the blockade. People don’t have a New Year’s mood, but there is no panic either, they understand the situation and endure. Essential goods are sold out in almost all stores, only sweets, drinks, juices and some household items remain. But the positive thing is that people have canned food, and stored goods. The situation in the villages is easier than in the city, because the villagers mostly have their own small farms, they keep livestock, manage beekeeping and collect supplies for themselves, they even manage to supply the city. In the coming days, we are planning to visit the villages of the Askeran region, where we have beneficiaries, and see how our rural beneficiaries are coping with the blockade.
Today we visited two more beneficiaries of Stepanakert. Recently, Anya has had health problems, so we visit her often. She has been registered in Hanganak since 2014, together with her husband. In February last year, her husband passed away from Covid, leaving her alone. After the death of her husband, Anya isolated herself from the rest of the world and no longer participates in Hanganak events, meanwhile she was one of the most active beneficiaries of the organization. Her year-long depression affected her physical health․ During the regular monitoring carried out by Hanganak, she was diagnosed with diabetes. This was worsened by malnutrition, leading to iron-deficiency anemia. The doctor prescribed appropriate treatment, and Anya’s health condition improved considerably. Currently, her blood pressure can be considered normal, she receives all the necessary medicines, and fulfills all the doctor’s prescriptions.
We found Anya sitting on her favorite sofa. Social worker Yermonia visits her almost every day and urges her to eat well. Anya said that she still has a small amount of vegetables and grains, but she is not sure that it will be enough for a long time. She noted with gratitude that the food provided by Hanganak during the month is almost enough. In the first days of the blockade, when there was still food in the stores, she did not buy it, hoping to get it from Hanganak. In general, she is not concerned by the lack of food, she ensures that we will endure; she is more concerned about the explosive political situation.
We also visited Irina. She has a disability and lives with her elderly mother. Together they manage to withstand the blockade and generally overcome life’s difficulties. We were pleased to note that they are well-stocked with food. Seeing their full refrigerator, we concluded that they can live without restrictions for a long time, however, like our other beneficiaries, they are more concerned about the political situation of the country.