Twelve displaced families have returned to two villages in the Khojavend district.

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Twelve Azerbaijani families who fled the villages of Girmizi Bazar and Hadrut during the Karabakh conflict have returned.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Azerbaijanis from Karabakh settlements were forced to flee their homes after the start of the First Karabakh War. The return of Azerbaijani displaced persons began after Azerbaijan took control of these territories. By March 11, 7,541 families (30,261 people) had returned to 41 settlements in the former Karabakh conflict zone.

A group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) returned to the villages of Girmizi Bazar and Hadrut in the Khojavend region, Oxu.az reported on June 12, citing the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons.

As part of the "Great Return" program, four families (17 people) returned to Hadrut, and eight families (42 people) to Girmizi Bazar. They previously lived in various regions of Azerbaijan, primarily in dormitories, sanatoriums, and administrative buildings. They were handed the keys to new apartments.

As a reminder, in November 2023, shortly after the end of hostilities, Azerbaijani authorities announced plans to return 34,500 families (140,000 people) to the former Karabakh conflict zone by the end of 2026. Despite the construction of roads, energy facilities, and housing, the pace of resettlement is being hampered by mine danger, a lack of jobs, and unresolved land use issues, analysts noted in April 2026.

Earlier, Azerbaijani IDPs complained about the difficulties of returning to Karabakh. In particular, they noted a shortage of jobs in Fuzuli. It's not enough to simply provide housing for displaced people; authorities must create jobs and build infrastructure, analysts emphasized.

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