The Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights extends its condolences to the Yazidi communities on the occasion of remembering Yazidi genocide. Six years ago, today, the people of Yazidi faith in Sinjar once again became victims of religious persecution. A genocide that killed thousands and left in its wake a catastrophe of enslavement, sexual violence and cultural destruction drove close to 400,000 from their homes.
Today, six years later, while Daesh and most perpetrators lay low, the humanitarian disaster has yet to be appropriately addressed and the justice is nowhere to be seen. Today, more than a third of the victims still live in camps and under similarly precarious circumstances. Today must not just be a day of remembrance, the Yazidi live, today must also be a day to commit to improving their present and their futures.
The child soldiers remain vulnerable and must be supported and reintegrated
With international aid, we at the Jiyan Foundation try our best to aid the survivors by providing psychotherapy and other services. We have initiated and carried out programs that established a health clinic for the former abductees and survivors of slavery, especially women, and provided psychotherapy, offered regular therapy in our centers in Al-Qosh, Duhok and Sulaymaniyah. But much remains undone, especially child soldiers remain vulnerable and must be supported and reintegrated. We call on the Kurdish Regional Government, the Iraqi government and the international community to redouble their efforts. Many more years of social, medical, psychological and legal support are needed, but equally important, the Yazidi must be aided in returning to their lands, their safety secured and their access to legal remedies improved.
We hope this day of remembrance of the genocide committed against the Yazidi strengthens the commitment to the survivors, to justice and a future where minorities are protected from such atrocities.
The Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR), with the support of IOM Iraq, is publishing regular newsletters on the Yazidi Survivors Law (YSL) in three languages. Check out the Eighth Newsletter now, in English, Arabic, and Kurdish (Sorani and Kurmanji).
The eighth issue of the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR) newsletter covers:
- Reparation Payments: The Directorate for Survivors’ Affairs has disbursed reparations to 1,975 survivors covered by the YSL in August 2024.
- UNITAD Reports: UNITAD has recently released several key reports on ISIL's international crimes in Iraq, concluding that ISIL's actions likely constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against Yazidis, Shi’a Turkmen, Christian communities, and other minorities.
- End of UNITAD’s Mandate: Following the conclusion of UNITAD’s mandate, C4JR’s Criminal Justice Working Group published a statement emphasizing the urgent need for the Iraqi government to pass legislation enabling the prosecution of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
- New Toolkit Released: C4JR and Jiyan Foundation released their Ethical Engagement Toolkit, to guide NGOs and journalists in engaging with survivors to address key issues such as informed consent, confidentiality, privacy, and cultural sensitivity, designed for various contexts.
- Yazidi Genocide Commemoration: On the tenth anniversary, Yazidi civil society held a commemoration in Solagh, Sinjar, honoring victims and demanding justice from the Iraqi government and international community, by prosecuting ISIS terrorists, rebuilding Yazidi areas, compensating survivors, and ensuring legal reforms to prevent future atrocities.
- UN Special Rapporteur Report: The UN Special Rapporteur’s report calls for action against sexual torture in wartime and will be presented to the UN General Assembly on October 25. The report acknowledges contributions from the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights and other stakeholders during a study visit to Iraqi Kurdistan.
- Challenges and Recommendations: The newsletter presents an overview of the outstanding challenges faced by survivors applying to the YSL and recommends measures to ease YSL application burdens.
- Get to Know C4JR Members: Learn more about Emma Human Development Organization, which provides legal and psychological services to ISIL survivors.
🗣 The newsletter is available in Arabic, Sorani, and Kurmanci.
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