Yazidis seek missing loved ones on International Day of the Disappeared
Shafaq News/ The International Day of the Disappeared brings a renewed wave of sorrow for the Yazidi community, intensifying their anguish and longing for loved ones who have been missing for over a decade since ISIS invaded Sinjar, abducting thousands of them.
Khudida Masto, one of those who has endured the pain of loss, spoke with deep sorrow about the tragedy that befell his family, "On that dark day when ISIS attacked our region, my entire family of six was kidnapped. I was the only one who escaped. Since then, I have only been able to reunite with my daughter, while the others remain missing."
He added, "I have never given up on finding them. We have information that many of the missing are in Al-Hol camp in Syria, but they are unable to reveal their identities. I have repeatedly tried to reach the camp to search for them, to no avail."
Facing this grief alone, Masto called on the government and international community to intervene and provide the necessary assistance in the search for the missing, "We need real support. We cannot bear this burden alone. Everyone must act to save these innocent victims."
Bahar, who lost her husband and three sons during the same tragic events, lives in a state of constant pain. She said, "I can not comprehend how ten years have passed without knowing if they are alive or dead. No one cares about our suffering—not the government, not the organizations. We live in a state of continuous despair."
Khairi Bozani, the official responsible for rescuing kidnapped Yazidis in the Kurdistan Region, emphasized the urgent need for international intervention. He urged the United Nations, the Red Cross, and all relevant organizations and individuals involved in the issue of the missing to take immediate and serious action to find a solution to this humanitarian crisis.
Bozani confirmed that over 2,600 Yazidis remain missing, with most believed to be in Al-Hol camp in Syria, where harsh conditions prevent identification or communication.
In August 2014, ISIS launched a brutal assault on Sinjar district in northern Iraq, home to the Yazidi ethnic and religious minority, to eradicate them. This assault led to the massacre of thousands of Yazidi men and the abduction of around 6,000 women and children.
ISIS systematically kidnapped Yazidi women and girls, forcing them into sexual slavery. Many of these captives were sold in slave markets or given as "gifts" to ISIS fighters. The children were often taken from their families and indoctrinated or trained as child soldiers. The horrific treatment of Yazidis by ISIS was later recognized as a genocide by the United Nations and other international bodies.
