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Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes and forced to abandon their belongings and livelihoods during the five weeks since the fighting that broke out across Nagorno Karabakh and the situation on the ground is desperate, The Halo Trust, which is engaged with clearing landmines and explosive in Nagorno-Karabakh reports.

It notes that people who have remained in Karabakh struggle to survive in cramped bomb shelters, where both shelling and COVID-19 pose a terrible risk. Rockets and cluster munitions have been found in civilian areas and the usually clean and peaceful streets are pitted with bomb craters, burnt out cars and shelled buildings.

“Most elderly people understand the dangers of landmines, but they’re not used to seeing these new types of cluster munitions in their backyard. Children are particularly vulnerable. Cluster munitions bear a cruel resemblance to toys, which prompts their innate curiosity,” the Halo Trust Program Officer notes.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, HALO is on the ground, supporting the local rescue service as emergency calls come in from members of the public to report explosives scattered in fields and streets. It notes that in the last five days alone, the Halo team has used its expertise and equipment to safely destroy over 150 explosive items. They are being supported by the global experts in explosive ordnance, who are using mobile communications to give real-time advice.

"Whenever there is a pause in the shelling, we have been delivering essential supplies to civilian shelters, including hygiene kits to reduce the spread of COVID-19, fuel and blankets. Our risk education teams are distributing vital educational materials by hand throughout Stepanakert, ensuring people know how to stay safe until full scale clearance is possible," the organization said on its website.

"Families here have already suffered many years of hardship as a result of the 1988-1994 Nagorno Karabakh War and the lethal legacy of landmines left behind. But they had begun to rebuild their lives. The minefields HALO has cleared over the last 20 years were transformed into fields of crops, children could play out safely and life was being restored. Today, as renewed attempts at a ceasefire continue to fail, the people of Karabakh need your support more than ever," said the organization.