HART’s local partner, the Lady Cox Disability Rehabilitation Centre, is forced to close after Azerbaijan attacks Nagorno Karabakh

“It was simply too dangerous for us to stay in Nagorno Karabakh”, said Vardan Tadevosyan, the Centre’s Founder and Director. “We are heartbroken. After 25 years of hope and healing, we had no choice but to evacuate. We will re-establish the Centre inside Armenia as soon as we are able, but my first priority is the immediate safety and wellbeing of my patients and staff.”

Following the Centre’s closure, 1,500 patients annually will become deprived of access to physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy, as well as a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool and an Autism Day Care Centre for children aged 2-16. Those who were housebound in Nagorno Karabakh because of severe illness or disability are particularly at risk, as they can no longer receive expert care from the Centre’s Home Visits Division.

Sam Mason, CEO of Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART), said: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the forced closure of our long-term partner in Nagorno Karabakh, the Lady Cox Disability Rehabilitation Centre. Patients with highly-complex needs have fled to Armenia in their hundreds, with minimal possessions and without essential equipment.”

He added: “There is now an urgent need to provide displaced patients with bespoke, accessible humanitarian assistance. Generic aid packages for food and NFIs [non-food items] will not go far enough to meet each individual’s complex needs. HART is committed to supporting them – every step of the way.”

More than 93,000 ethnic Armenians have fled Nagorno Karabakh since Azerbaijan’s military offensive on 19 September 2023. The attack followed Azerbaijan’s nine-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor (the only road connecting Armenia to Nagorno Karabakh) which prevented residents from accessing essential goods and services, including fuel, food and life-saving medication.

Baroness Cox, Founder President of HART, said: “The tragic plight of the Centre’s staff and patients – and the suffering inflicted upon tens of thousands of innocent civilians – is a direct consequence of Azerbaijan’s brutal policy of starvation, intimidation and gross violations of human rights. Perpetrators of such cruel acts must be held to account.”

She continued: “The Rehabilitation Centre is more than bricks and mortar. It is a symbol of hope among the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh – rooted in the values of compassion, dignity and quality of care. On behalf of everyone at HART, I say to Vardan Tadevosyan and his team: ‘Thank you for holding fast to these values for 25 years, even in the midst of conflict and uncertainty. We remain deeply inspired by your courage and dedication. We are proud to stand alongside you, today and always, as you carry forward your inspirational vision of hope and healing.’”