UNAMI condoles the death of Baba Sheikh

Shafaq News / The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) expressed on Friday its condolences to all Yazidis on the passing of the leader of the sect, Baba Sheikh.

In a statement, UNAMI said, "Baba Sheikh was a convening figure in the Yazidi community that was overrun in 2014, when its members were killed, raped and sold as slaves by ISIS".

He added, "He gathered the Yazidis together in a moment of despair, as the survivors fled the home of their ancestors on Mount Sinjar, where many of them are still displaced until today. He will be remembered for his tireless efforts to heal the wounds of his besieged community".

"I was honored to visit him last year to discuss the Yazidi issue", said the United Nations representative in Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.

The religious leader of the Yazidis, Baba Sheikh, passed away in Erbil on Thursday, at the age of 87, after a struggle with illness.