On the way to exile: My little daughter misses her bed.

Since the transfer of power in Nagorno-Karabakh on September20, more than100,000 out of120,000 residents of the self-proclaimed republic have chosen the path of exile instead of living under the rule of Baku, which had promised to "guarantee the rights" of the region's Armenian population. Since then, refugees continue to arrive in the town of Vayk, which is halfway between Goris and Yerevan. Local authorities have requisitioned the town's cultural center and part of the primary school to cope with this influx. Refugees arrive in a continuous stream at the square usually designated for cultural events and children from the primary school. These people are met by representatives of the Red Cross, who direct them inside the building.

37-year-old Ara arrived at the center on its opening day eight days ago. He takes care of sixty volunteers who work day and night, most of them teenagers from surrounding villages. "People who come here register to get housing from the government. The queue is very long. Those who want to can get food, medicine, clothes and see a doctor. These people had to evacuate quickly and traveled three days to get here. Normally it takes4 hours to get to Stepanakert. It's all painful and it all hits me. I try to forget my pain, busy working to help my people. A few hours ago, my friend died of burns in the hospital. His parents don't know about this and I will have to tell them the news." Since the center opened, over20,000 refugees have passed through the hall.

"There is a heavy odor here. Six bathrooms on the first floor can no longer handle the needs of men and women passing through here. The smells mix with the odors of food and sweat. Each refugee is given soup, a bottle of water, bread, coffee and some cookies."."

After registration, refugees enter the main room of the building. The400-seat theater, which has now turned into a strange spectacle. Boxes of clothing accumulate on the stage. People exchange their slippers for ones that are too small but in good condition. Some lay down on the floor to rest a little. Volunteers distribute water and food.

Dr. Ara Poladyan arrived from Yerevan a few days ago to organize assistance for people passing through here.

The cultural center of the city of Vaik is divided into several buildings. To get to the kindergarten, you need to walk along a small stone path. This is where painting, dance, and pottery classes are usually held. Since last week, this place has turned into a temporary hotel. They now accommodate families for one or two nights. Mattresses and a few blankets are set up on the floor. They rest as best as they can.

In connection with the exodus of the population from Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan committed last Thursday to allocate 100,000 drams (about 250 euros) for each refugee. This assistance, which may seem insignificant considering that the real estate market in Armenia has sharply increased in recent years due to Russian emigrants fleeing the war in Ukraine, is not enough for Karen Ghazaryan, a representative of the Armenian National Assembly who came to report on the situation in the Vayk center to his superiors. "International financial aid is not what we expected; we would have liked states to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan earlier. Assistance should not come only after events; we are looking for ongoing support today, especially given the risk of a new war in Syunik. The state, with the support of international organizations, will do everything possible to address the refugee issue. At the moment, they are considered internally displaced persons and do not yet have the status of political refugees. We ask the international community to recognize their status." Nikol Pashinyan stated that his country, with a population of 2.9 million, can accept 40,000 refugees. Today, the number of displaced persons arriving in Armenia exceeds 100,000. The fall of Nagorno-Karabakh has led to a significant humanitarian crisis in the country.