Since 2014, hundreds of thousands of Yezidis have become internally displaced persons (IDPs) or refugees. Their areas of origin, in Sinjar city and surrounding villages, were largely destroyed by ISIS and resulting coalition airstrikes targeting the extremists. Seven years later, most of Sinjar remains in rubble. Although a significant number of Yezidis have returned, many have not.
Several factors prevent Yezidis from returning home, including security concerns, lack of governance, absence of infrastructure and basic services, and other issues. Meanwhile, approximately 180,000 Yezidis remain internally displaced, mostly spread across 15 IDP camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Although Yezidis and the international community all wish to see families return home, the reality is that a significant portion of the community will remain displaced in the short to medium term.
During this time, it is imperative that Yezidi civil society works with the UN and international donors to provide specific services to ensure the community can access education, training, skill development, and basic services. Yezidis must be able to live in dignity but also obtain enough skills and education to improve their economic situation in the future.
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.
