PHOTOS: Sinjar remains destroyed on 4th anniversary of Ezidi genocide

author_image Sangar Ali
Four years after the genocide perpetrated by the Islamic State (IS) against the Yezidi (Ezidi) religious minority, the Iraqi city of Sinjar (Shingal), now often called a ghost city, remains largely destroyed and its residents displaced.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Four years after the genocide perpetrated by the Islamic State (IS) against the Yezidi (Ezidi) religious minority, the Iraqi city of Sinjar (Shingal), now often called a ghost city, remains largely destroyed and its residents displaced.

Shingal was home to some 88,000, most of them part of the Ezidi religious minority, when it was overrun by IS in Aug. 2014. After taking over, the jihadist group kidnapped and massacred untold numbers and thousands of women were forced into sexual slavery.

In addition to the human cost, destructive acts by IS and the battles to remove the jihadist group from Shingal have left most of the city in rubble. The group enthusiastically destroyed shrines and ancient historical sites related to the Ezidi religion, something they saw, in their ideological fervor, as a way of eliminating polytheism.

Tens of thousands of Ezidis from Shingal and surrounding areas remain displaced in the Kurdistan Region, Europe, North America, and other regions. Thousands are missing.

Almost three years have been passed since the 2015 liberation of Shingal by Kurdish Peshmerga forces supported by the US-led coalition. It has been under the control of Iraqi forces and Hashd al-Shaabi (PMF) militias since October.

Much of the city is still rubble and very few have returned to their homes due to insecurity and lack of public services.

Marking the fourth anniversary of acts committed against Ezidis by IS, now recognized by many as acts of genocide, Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani on Friday promised the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) sustained efforts in helping members of the group rebuild and return home and called on Baghdad to follow suit.

Editing by John J. Catherine

The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)
The Kurdish Ezidi city of Sinjar (Shingal) remains largely destroyed after being liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in Nov. 2015. (Photo: Kurdistan 24/Shvan Harki)