Humanitarian

Kurdistan Region President, Yezidi activist Nadia Murad discuss situation of Yezidis

“They agreed on the significance of peace and stability in the Yezidi areas, which is crucial for the safe return of Yezidi IDPs to their homeland."

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2023/10/19 19:34

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani (right) met with with renowned Yezidi activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate in Erbil, Oct. 19, 2023. (Photo: Kurdistan Presidency))

Kurdistan Nadia Murad Yezidi IDPs Nechirvan Barzani

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Thursday held a meeting with prominent Yezidi activist Nadia Murad, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and the head of the NGO Nadia’s Initiative, and discussed the situations of Yezidis.

The Kurdistan Region Presidency said the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Yezidi community’s current situation, particularly the process of repatriating displaced Yezidis from camps in the Kurdistan Region to their homes in Shingal (Sinjar) and the surrounding areas.

“They agreed on the significance of peace and stability in the Yezidi areas, which is crucial for the safe return of Yezidi IDPs to their homeland,” the Kurdistan Presidency said in a press release.

“The challenges faced by the Yezidi community were also addressed during the meeting. Additionally, gratitude was expressed towards the countries that have extended their assistance to the Yezidis in various capacities,” the statement added.

President Nechirvan Barzani expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by the organizers of Wednesday’s ceremony dedicated to remembering the genocide of the Yezidis.

A new grand memorial site for Yezidis was opened on Wednesday in Sinjar in the presence of UN officials, Yezidi religious leaders, NGOs, Iraqi officials and representatives from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

In stressing the significance of this event, President Nechirvan Barzani highlighted the crucial need to meticulously document the heinous crimes perpetrated by ISIS against the Yezidi people. Furthermore, efforts to prevent the recurrence of such atrocities were emphasized.

The President reaffirmed the ongoing commitment to rescue and determine the fate of all the Yezidis who were abducted by ISIS.

In August, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani during the ninth-anniversary commemoration of the Yezidi genocide, vowed that as “long as there is one Yezidi kidnapped left, this section of my office will remain and will continue to find and rescue the kidnapped.”

He also added that regrettably, 1,244 kidnapped Yezidi girls, women, 1,402 men, and youth are still missing, while 1,208 women, 339 men, and 2,023 children were rescued due to the efforts of the Kidnapped Yazidi Rescue Office.

KRG Coordinator Dindar Zebari during the inauguration of the new monument for Yezidis in Sinjar said so far as of May 15, 3,562 Yezidi’s were rescued.