59 Azerbaijani families returned to Karabakh

In Khankendi, as well as in the Khojaly, Agdere, and Jabrayil districts, 284 members of Azerbaijani families who left the region during the Karabakh conflict returned today.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 11, 25 families of former internally displaced persons – 154 people – returned to the village of Shukurbeyli in the Jabrayil district.

Today, another group of displaced persons left for Khankendi, Khojaly, Agdere, and Jabrayil districts. Previously, these families were settled in various regions of Azerbaijan, mainly in dormitories, sanatoriums, and administrative buildings, Report.az reported.

Three families totaling 13 people relocated to Khankendi. In the Khojaly district, 20 families returned: five families (22 people) moved to the village of Kerkedzahan, seven families (31 people) – to the village of Tezebina, five families (22 people) – to the village of Khanyurdu, two families (10 people) – to the village of Khanabad, and one family (four people) – to the village of Ballidja, the APA agency reported today.

In the Agdere district, 12 families returned: four families (14 people) – to the village of Vengli, another four families (11 people) – to the village of Chapar, and also four families (nine people) – to the village of Nizhny Oratag. Additionally, 24 families (148 people) relocated to the village of Shukurbeyli in the Jabrayil district, the report stated.

It is worth noting that in November 2023, the Azerbaijani authorities announced plans to return 34,500 families, or 140,000 people, to the former zone of the Karabakh conflict by the end of 2026. In April, analysts pointed out that despite the construction of housing, roads, and energy infrastructure, the pace of resettlement is hindered by the danger of mines, lack of jobs, and unresolved land use issues.

Returning residents reported both improvements in living conditions and ongoing household and economic problems. For instance, Rashid Aliyev, whose family returned to the village of Khydyrly in the Agdam district in the summer of 2025, spoke about the house provided for the family and the opportunity to engage in livestock farming. "After decades of wandering, living in cramped spaces, we feel very happy here," – he said to a correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot". Other displaced persons pointed out the lack of jobs, pharmacies, public transport, and irrigation water.

In July, analyst Togrul Juvarly pointed out another problem – with land plots. "Each house in the rebuilt villages comes with only 12 hundredths of a plot. This is very little," – he noted. According to the analyst, land reform and the ability to run one's own farm are necessary for the sustainable development of the returning settlements.