DONATE

9th Anniversary Commemoration Event Brings Together 27 Yezid-led NGOs and CSOs

On August 1st, FYF co-led a historic event in Baghdad commemorating the 9th anniversary of the Yezidi Genocide, which brought together 27 Yezidi-led NGOs and CSOs. The event was attended by Iraqi, UN, and Embassy officials, as well as international experts. The event opened with a minute of silence in honor of the victims of the genocide and those who remain missing. This was followed by keynote speeches from various officials and prominent community leaders.
 
Two panel discussions were held during the event: one focused on the multifaceted challenges facing the Yezidi community and the other on the importance of international stakeholders and allies. An art exhibition of Yezidi artists was also displayed at the event.
9th Anniversary Commemoration Event in Baghdad
FYF’s Country Director, Hewan Omer, spoke on behalf of the organization, remarking: 

We Yezidis have faced persecution and discrimination for centuries because of our religion. In 2014, ISIS launched their genocidal campaign against our community. They came to eradicate us. Despite ISIS, the Yezidis remain. We stand strong against our oppressors. But we cannot rebuild on our own. We cannot heal without support.

9 years is a long time to wait for justice and accountability. It is a long time for our community to be impoverished. It is a long time for our community to remain internally displaced. It is a long time to wait for our brothers and sisters to be rescued, and for our relatives to be exhumed and identified. 

Our community was abandoned on August 3rd. And, in ISIS’ aftermath, we have been left to rebuild with some help from the international community and little from the Iraqi or Kurdistan governments. Just a small portion of Iraq’s annual budget would help Yezidis recover in a short period of time. The question is: does Iraq have the will to finally protect Yezidis? We are Iraqi citizens, and we deserve the same protection and support as all other Iraq citizens. We Yezidis will continue to raise our voices to call on the government to support Yezidis, like other Iraqi citizens.

Support our work!

FYF works to support the most vulnerable members of the Yezidi community by providing them with education, economic empowerment, post-trauma treatment, and access to justice. If you want your donations to have a real impact on the lives of women and children affected by conflict, please consider giving to FYF today. 

Contribute today!