ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Yazidis have criticised the Iraqi government for failing to implement pledges made to the community as it prepares to mark seven years since the Islamic State (ISIS) launched a genocide against the ethnoreligious group.
Numerous online commemorations and panels were held on Monday, the eve of the anniversary, with Yazidis in Iraq and the diaspora, human rights activists, lawyers and diplomatic officials weighing in on the challenges faced by the small community.
“No serious action has been taken by the government to resolve the situation of Yazidis,” said Hewan Omar, country director for the Free Yezidi Foundation (FRF), in a conference held by the organisation.
Numerous Yazidi IDPs spoke of harsh life in camps, and poor services and security preventing them from returning home to Shingal, known as Sinjar in Arabic, the Yazidi heartland which lies near the Syrian border in Nineveh province.
“We want to go back to Shingal after it is rebuilt and services are provided,” said Suaad, a social worker with FYF, calling for the district to be protected by international community.
The minority group suffered particularly brutal treatment under ISIS, in what has been recognised by many states as genocide. More than 6,000 Yazidis were kidnapped by the terror group, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and upwards of 2,000 still remain missing.Thousands were summarily killed and hundreds of thousands displaced, mostly to the Kurdistan Region’s IDP camps.
In October, the KRG and federal Iraqi government signed an agreement on governance and security in the disputed district.
The deal “ends the authority of intruding groups and paves the way for the reconstruction of the city and the full return of its people,” a spokesperson for the Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi tweeted at the time.
In a pre-recorded message as part of a conference hosted by Yazda, Kadhimi pledged to visit Shingal “soon” and said more will be done for the community, acknowledging that the October agreement “is not enough.”
“We are committed to finding solutions that work for all sides without being forced upon the inhabitants of Sinjar,” he said, saying Iraqi ministries and institutions must coordinate to work on the issue.
“We all know that all areas in Iraq require reconstruction but Sinjar is special. Terrorists wanted to destroy it physically, culturally, and destroy its people. Therefore it requires our special attention taking into consideration the pains and wounds of its inhabitants,” the PM added.
Although Shingal was liberated in 2015, much of the area still lies in ruins. Other parts of the district have scarce facilities, including hospitals and schools.
Armed groups vying for control of the strategic area has also been cited as a factor preventing Yazidis from returning home.
Panelists also addressed the Yazidi Survivors Law, a historic law passed in March which allocates jobs, land and financial support to survivors of ISIS brutality. However, the Iraqi government has been criticised for a lack of real action to implement the law.
“To enforce the law with no desire, the legislation, implementation and actions taken fall short of our expectations, said Sozan Safar, head of the Dak Organisation, in a FYF panel on Monday.
The Iraqi government has allocated no funds to implement the law, she said, adding that “the execution delay impacts survivors and their families, making them feel disappointed.”
