Canada to begin Ezidi fact-finding mission in Iraq

TORONTO, Canada (Kurdistan24) – The government of Canada on Tuesday announced it is preparing to send a group of officials on a fact-finding mission to help Ezidi (Yazidi) refugees escape genocide.

The announcement was made by the Refugees and Immigration Minister John McCallum during a meeting at the House of Commons.

According to a representative of the minister’s office, the plan to aid Ezidi refugees in Iraq had been discussed over the summer.

“We recognize the exceptionally serious nature of this issue, and also the difficulties,” McCallum said in a CBC report.

“My department is sending an expedition – a group – over to investigate the situation in Iraq,” he continued.

Additionally, the minister explained the group would “gather facts and determine possible courses of action” to help the Ezidi victims.

In August 2014, the so-called Islamic State (IS) took control of the city of Sinjar (Shingal), an Ezidi-majority region in northern Iraq.

The insurgent group began killing hundreds of Ezidis and enslaving thousands of women.

With the support of the US-led coalition airstrikes in November 2015, Shingal was liberated by Peshmerga forces.

However, there are still over two thousand Ezidi women who remain in the hands of IS insurgents as sex slaves.

The murder and enslavement of Ezidis led to a reaction from Canada to take action and help the victims.

Rachel Harder, a Conservative party MP, previously said the government of Canada had turned a “blind eye” to the atrocities committed by IS against Ezidis.

“When will the prime minister take real action instead of lip service?” she asked, according to CBC.

Recently, another Canadian MP, Tom Kmiec, tabled a motion to officially recognize the Anfal campaign by the former Iraqi regime as genocide.

Although Canada has yet to label the Ezidi massacre by IS as genocide, advocates continue to pressure MPs to do so.

Editing by Ava Homa