A Historic Day: Idps Relocate To Their Homeland In Khojaly After Over 30 Years

(MENAFN- AzerNews) Qabil Ashirov Read more

The relocation of IDPs, who were uprooted from their homes due to the Armenian invasion in the 1990s, to their homelands is gaining momentum.

On January 31, 2024, Azerbaijan's Aghdam witnessed a touching scene. A group of IDPs, comprising 22 families or 94 people of various ages, left Aghdam for Ballija village in Khojaly. These IDPs spent 30 years-literally half of their lives-in administrative buildings, dormitories, and all that far away from the homes they had once built for themselves. They lost their dreams, their future and much more. As an additional thorn, some of them lost their loved ones. Against all odds, like all citizens of Azerbaijan, they have never lost hope of returning to their homes. Today is that day.

Seeing their homelands after thirty years-literally half of their lives-was a poignant moment, and some of the IDPs even were close to tears. Sharing her joys with local media, Sudabe Javadova noted that she was 35 years old when she was uprooted from her homeland. Now, she is 68.

“More than thirty years of my life were spent in exile, yearning for my homeland. I am very happy that, after so many years, today I can return to my land. As the proverb goes, 'the days of hardship are short-lived.' Thank God, Garabagh has been liberated, and our difficult days are behind us. Now, the joyful days of Garabagh have begun. From now on, I will live with my family and children in our homeland," she emphasized.

Another IDP Hamlet Nasibov expressed that for over thirty years, they lived with the hope and longing of returning to our homeland. Today, he is happy to finally return to my native land.

"Human fate is full of contradictions. When we left our homeland, we walked these roads with great sorrow and hopelessness. Now, we are returning with joy and pride. I express my gratitude to our army and our President for making these beautiful feelings possible, and for reuniting us with our homeland," he added.

It is worth noting that located just 10.6 kilometres from the city centre, Ballija village in the Khojaly region lies on the left bank of the Ballija River, at the foothills of the Garabagh mountain range. The village derives its name from the river that runs through the area. The climate is generally mild and warm, except in the mountainous regions.

It's important to note that the village was occupied by Armenian forces in 1992 during the outbreak of the Garabagh conflict. However, Ballija was liberated from enemy control during local counter-terrorism operations conducted on September 19-20, 2023. These operations successfully restored Azerbaijani sovereignty over the village, bringing an end to more than three decades of occupation.

It should be emphasized that in addition to former internally displaced persons (IDPs) relocated to Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur, over 30,000 people currently live in the region. These individuals include those working on projects being implemented in the area, as well as those serving in local branches of various government institutions.

Moreover, many are employed in the recently resumed health, education, culture, tourism, industry, and energy sectors, contributing to the revitalization of the region's infrastructure and services. This growing population reflects the continued development and re-establishment of essential services in these newly returned territories.

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