Store shelves in Artsakh are almost empty three weeks into the closure of the Lachin Corridor.

16-year-old Gayaneh Baghishyan tells Hetq that shoppers are hard pressed to find basic products, including medicine.

Baghishyan is a Shushi native who now lives in the Artsakh capital Stepanakert.

 All her relatives are from the villages and towns in Artsakh that came under Azerbaijani control after the 2020 war. They too now live in Stepanakert.

Baghishyan tells Hetq she never imagined the road closure would last this long.

"The situation is bad. We are desperate. The shops are empty. There are many important medicines that have run out. There are no vegetables or fruits in the shops. People are in a panic buying mode. Most of the goods were brought from Armenia, and now there is nothing," says Baghishyan.

She says people weren’t in holiday mode to celebrate New Year’s. Food is consumed sparingly.

Dairy products and vegetable oil are produced in Artsakh, but what exists is sold in limited quantities. One bottle of oil and one type of dairy item for each family.

The Baghishyan family decided to stay in Artsakh even though their Shushi home is under Azerbaijani control.

They don’t regret their decision.