A decade of dedication: Nechirvan Barzani's ongoing support for Yazidi community after genocide

Shafaq News/ A decade after the devastating ISIS attack on the Yazidi community, President Nechirvan Barzani continues to lead extensive efforts to support and rescue Yazidis affected by the genocide. From establishing a dedicated rescue office to providing crucial aid for displaced persons and pushing for international recognition of the atrocities, Barzani's commitment to the Yazidi cause remains resolute.

Seven Years On, 43% of Yazidis Returned to Sinjar

In August 2014, ISIS launched a large-scale attack on the heartland of the Yazidi community at the foot of Sinjar Mountain, determined to erase the tiny, insular religious group they considered heretics. During the week-long assault, ISIS killed thousands of Yazidis and abducted 6,417, more than half of them women and girls. Most of the captured adult men were likely eventually killed and buried in mass graves, and the majority of the 550,000-strong community was displaced from their ancestral home in northern Iraq.

Rearing up from the flatland is the Sinjar Mountains, a long, narrow range considered sacred by the Yazidis. Legend says Noah's ark settled on the mountain after the flood. Yazidis fled to the heights to escape ISIS, as they have done in past bouts of persecution. This strategically located remote corner of northwest Iraq near the Syrian border has been the Yazidis' home for centuries. Villages are scattered across a semi-arid plain.

It has been seven years since ISIS was defeated in Iraq. However, as of April 2024, only 43% of the more than 300,000 people displaced from Sinjar had returned, according to the International Migration Organization. 

Barzani's Office Rescues Over 3,500 Yazidis

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani has been at the forefront of efforts to rescue Yazidis captured by Islamic State (ISIS) militants, officials said.

Barzani established an office in October 2014 dedicated to rescuing Yazidis kidnapped by ISIS. The office has since freed over 3,500 people, including more than 1,200 women and over 2,000 children.

"The genocide committed by ISIS terrorists against our Yazidi brothers and sisters was not just a backward attempt to strike at one of the oldest religions in the region and humanity, but also a futile and miserable attempt to strike at the supreme concepts and values of the Kurdish people, represented by tolerance, solidarity, coexistence, humanity, and love of life, which are prominent and witnessed characteristics of the Yazidi community," President Barzani said at a ceremony in Sinjar in February 2021.

Hussein Koro, head of the Kurdistan Region's Office for Kidnapped Affairs, told Shafaq News that Barzani remains committed to freeing all remaining Yazidi women and children held captive by ISIS.

 "These efforts come within the framework of the presidency's commitment to protecting and liberating victims of the crimes of assault and kidnapping committed by ISIS against the Yazidi community in Sinjar and other areas," Koro said.

Rescues 86% of Yazidis; 2,601 Still in Captivity

Since October 2014, the office of the president of Kurdistan, under the direction of President Barzani, has led efforts to rescue Yazidi abductees taken by ISIS from Sinjar on August 3, 2014.

Khairy Bozani, the official overseeing the Yazidi abductee file, told Shafaq News Agency that 86% out of 3,567 rescued abductees have been freed.

According to Bozani, 135,860 Yazidis remain in displacement camps in Kurdistan, with 189,337 scattered across the region. Over 5,000 Yazidis have been confirmed dead, and ISIS's assault left 2,745 orphans. "The terrorists also destroyed 68 religious sites and left behind 83 mass graves, with many individual graves still being discovered."

Bozani noted that "more than 120,000 Yazidis have emigrated, and 6,417 were abducted, including 3,548 females and 2,869 males. To date, 3,576 Yazidis have been rescued, comprising 1,208 women, 339 men, 1,070 girls, and 959 boys."

"President Barzani's commitment to the Yazidi cause is reflected in the material and moral support provided to the rescue efforts, ensuring the mission's continuity and success," he said. "The initiative continues with a focus on comprehensive support for survivors, including psychological, social, and economic assistance."

Statistics from the presidential office also show that 242 Yazidi abductees have been found in mass graves and returned to their families, with 35 females and 207 males among them.

A presidential source said that President Barzani is determined to free the remaining 2,601 abductees, including 1,235 females and 1,366 males.

On April 16, Barzani reiterated his commitment to Yazidi rights and ongoing rescue efforts during the Yazidi New Year celebration.

"This comprehensive rescue mission aligns with efforts to support all survivors and reintegrate them into their communities," Bozani said. "During the 2019 genocide commemoration in Duhok, President Barzani acknowledged the historical atrocities against Yazidis and vowed that such acts would never sever the bond between Kurdistan and its Yazidi citizens."

Barzani's Response: Rescue, Support, and Reconstruction Efforts

In response to this humanitarian disaster, Nechirvan Barzani implemented a series of decisions and measures to support the Yazidis and alleviate their suffering:

1. Establishment of the Yazidi Abductee Rescue Office: This office was established in October 2014 under direct orders from President Barzani. The office took on the mission of rescuing Yazidis abducted by ISIS. To date, the office has rescued 3,576 individuals, including 1,208 women and 1,070 children.

2. Support for displaced persons: Barzani provided material and moral support to displaced Yazidis living in Kurdistan Region camps. There are approximately 135,860 displaced persons in the camps, in addition to 189,337 displaced persons in other areas of the region.

3. Recognition of the Genocide: Barzani has worked on the international stage to have the Yazidi suffering recognized as genocide. This recognition is crucial for achieving justice for the victims and ensuring that perpetrators are brought to international courts.

4. Reconstruction and rehabilitation: Barzani has been involved in efforts to reconstruct Sinjar and the affected areas, as well as providing psychological and social support to survivors to help them rebuild their lives.

5. Attention to religious sites: Following ISIS's destruction of 68 religious sites, Barzani has made efforts to rebuild these sites, emphasizing the protection of Yazidi cultural and religious heritage.