PM Barzani Directs Universities to Accommodate Yazidi Survivors
By PM Barzani's directive, the KRG will ease university admission and waive fees for registered ISIS survivors, especially Yazidis. The move aims to help survivors of the 2014 genocide continue their education as part of ongoing recovery efforts.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – In a significant move to support the long-term recovery of those who endured the atrocities of ISIS, Kurdistan Region's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has directed his government to implement special educational accommodations for survivors, particularly from the Yazidi community, to facilitate their return to higher education.
An official letter from the KRG Council of Ministers was sent on Wednesday to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, outlining the prime minister's directive. The letter, signed by Dr. Omed Sabah, President of the Council's Diwan, instructs the ministry to create a framework to ease the path for registered survivors to continue their education, which for many was violently interrupted by the terrorist group.
The directive comes more than a decade after the ISIS genocide against the Yazidi community, which began on Aug. 3, 2014. During their brutal assault on Sinjar, ISIS militants committed mass killings, subjected thousands of women and girls to systematic sexual slavery, and sought to erase the ancient faith. According to official figures, ISIS kidnapped 6,417 people during the attack. While 3,589 Yazidi Kurds have since been rescued through efforts led by the KRG, the fate of approximately 2,500 remains unknown.
The Council of Ministers’ letter specifically requested two key accommodations. First, it called for the ministry to define a framework for the admission of survivors to all universities and institutes in the Kurdistan Region at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. This framework is to provide "suitable accommodations while considering their academic standing," acknowledging the profound disruption to their lives and studies.
Second, the directive orders an exemption from tuition fees for the parallel study system at all universities and institutes under the ministry's purview. The parallel system is a common pathway in the region for students who do not meet the high competitive scores for regular public admission, but it typically requires students to pay tuition fees.
The letter explicitly states that these accommodations are for those individuals whose names are registered on the official list of survivors maintained by the relevant government authorities.
This educational initiative is part of a broader, ongoing effort by the Prime Minister's office to support the Yazidi community. For the past year, a monthly financial grant has been provided by Prime Minister Barzani's office to more than 3,500 Yazidi survivors of ISIS, aiming to provide a measure of financial stability as they rebuild their lives.
While the KRG's actions provide direct support within the region, they also complement efforts at the federal level. In 2021, the Iraqi Parliament passed the Yazidi Female Survivors Law, a landmark piece of legislation intended to provide reparations, healthcare, education, and land rights to survivors. However, the implementation of this federal law has been slow, often hampered by bureaucratic delays, leaving many survivors still waiting for the comprehensive support it promises. The KRG’s directive provides a more immediate, targeted form of assistance in the crucial area of education.
