Genocide of Yazidis: Women Targeted and Forgotten, Reconciliation Still Elusive
The Yazidi community, a Kurdish-speaking minority group primarily based in Iraq, has been the target of a genocide at the hands of the Islamic State (ISIS) since 2014. The United Nations has recognized the atrocities committed against the Yazidis as genocide, with the specific targeting of women and girls being a prominent feature.
The genocide began in August 2014, when ISIS militants swept through the Yazidi heartland of Sinjar in northern Iraq, killing or enslaving thousands of Yazidis and forcing tens of thousands to flee. Women and girls were particularly vulnerable, with many being taken as sex slaves and subjected to horrific abuse.
The scale of the atrocities is staggering, with thousands of Yazidi women and girls being kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery. Many have never been found or rescued, and those who have managed to escape have been left with deep physical and psychological scars.
Despite the international community recognizing the genocide and the UN setting up a investigation team, little has been done to hold the perpetrator accountable and bring justice to the survivors. Some women have received psycho-social support and rehabilitation services, however, a lot more needs to be done to ensure that the Yazidi women and girls receive justice and reparations for the atrocities they have suffered.
Reconciliation has also been difficult for the Yazidi community, as the perpetrators of the genocide are still at large and have not been held accountable for their crimes. Many Yazidis have also been displaced from their homes and have not been able to return.
The plight of Yazidi women and girls highlights the need for stronger international action to protect vulnerable communities and hold perpetrators accountable for their crimes. The international community must take concrete steps to support Yazidis in their quest for justice and reconciliation.
Also Read: I was an Isis sex slave
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