Today marks the 5th anniversary of the ISIS genocidal attacks against Yazidis in Shengal. Thousands of Yazidis were killed in the attacks and thousands of women and children were abducted, raped and sold in slave markets. Thousands of Yazidis rescued from the massacre were settled in Southern Kurdistan and Rojava.

ISIS gangs wanted to destroy the Yazidi faith and identity on August 3, 2014. Peshmerga forces in the region didn’t resist ISIS, and the Yazidis were left to face a vile massacre. HPG and YPG/YPJ forces ran to their aid and rescued thousands of Yazidis from imminent death through the safe corridor they opened.

3,000 YAZIDIS RESCUED

The Wrath of Euphrates operation launched on November 10, 2016 to avenge Yazidi women liberated the city of Raqqa where the ISIS gangs had declared their so-called caliphate’s capital. With the Operation Cizire Storm in Deir ez-Zor, the ISIS occupation in the region was ended completely. The operations resulted in the rescue of 3,000 out of the 6,417 women and children. The Yazidi women and children who were rescued were taken to the Yazidi House to be reunited with their families through the Cizire Region Women’s Council and the Shengal Assembly.

SUPPORT FOR THE RESCUED

Cizire Region Yazidi House Assembly Co-chair Leyla Ibrahim said the Shengal Women’s Movement provides education and psychological support for the rescued women and children so they can overcome their trauma.

“YAZIDI WOMEN WERE TAKEN TO IDLIB”

Ibrahim said the Iraqi government failed to fulfill their duty to Yazidi people: “To this day, the Iraqi government hasn’t fulfilled their legal obligations. Because of their irresponsible attitude, records for mass graves can’t be found.” Leyla Ibrahim added that after Northern and Eastern Syria was liberated from ISIS gangs, the captive Yazidi women were taken to Idlib by ISIS gangs.