Azerbaijan's damage from Armenian occupation surpasses $819B
By Rashid Shirinov
Armenia’s aggression against neighboring Azerbaijan resulted not only in the occupation of 20 percent of its internationally recognized territories, but also caused great economic and moral damage to the Azerbaijani population.
The damage inflicted to Azerbaijan by the occupation of its lands was calculated in the amount of $819.15 billion, the working group on the assessment of damage in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan told Trend on February 21.
Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that had caused a lengthy war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly one million were displaced as a result of the war.
The occupied cities such as Shusha, Agdam, Fizuli, Jabrayil, Zangilan, Gubadli were completely ruined and plundered by the Armenian armed forces. Today, not a single historic and cultural monument or tombstone belonging to Azerbaijani nation can be found in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. In total, Armenians plundered and set alight 464 historical monuments and museums and nine palaces of historical importance. 152 sacred places and temples, including 62 mosques remaining in the occupied territories have fallen victim to Armenian aggression.
The working group collected hundreds of thousands of documents and facts confirming the damage caused by the occupation and the Khojaly genocide, as well as other terrorist acts carried out by the Armenian aggressors.
In the course of work, the group collaborated with various international organizations and attracted international experts for assessment of the damage.
As a result, the working group determined the final amount of damage Armenia inflicted to Azerbaijan.
Thus, the damage caused to the population of Azerbaijan made up $147.8 billion. A total of $140.4 billion of this damage consisted in humanitarian and moral losses due to the destruction of the population and deprivation of health and standard of living, while the rest $7.4 billion lied in material damage to the population because of the destruction of property.
The damage caused to the state amounted to $126.46 billion, including the damage in the social ($33.93 billion) and economic ($92.53 billion) spheres.
The damage caused to the environment and natural resources hit $244.42 billion, while the damage to historical and cultural monuments made up $177 billion.
As for excessive military expenditures, restrictions and losses in connection with the Armenian occupation of the Azerbaijani lands, the volume of the damage is $124.47 billion.
The final report will be submitted to the relevant authorities.
The working group was established in October 2013 according to the Cabinet of Ministers' decree. It operates under the state commission for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the occupied Azerbaijani territories.
The Presidential Administration, as well as Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the State Committee on Refugees and IDPs Ali Hasanov, and a number of ministries and committees assist in the activity of the group.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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