Hennis-Plasschaert urges to solve Yazidi issue

Shafaq News / recalling the atrocities committed by ISIS six years ago, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN Special Representative for Iraq, salutes Yazidis for their resilience, and for preserving their culture and land, and determinedly pursuing their rights despite the odds.

In a report received by Shafaq news agency, she urged Erbil and Baghdad to reach an urgent agreement to provide this beleaguered community with the tools and the right environment to rebuild their lives.

She also pointed out that “In 2014, ISIS ravaged through Sinjar, killing and destroying, singling out Yazidis in their systematic campaign of destruction.” 

“Thousands upon thousands of people fled to the mountains. Many were killed. Women and children were kidnapped and enslaved, subjected to heinous sexual crimes. Many remain missing, and the survivors continue to bear the scars of this trauma”, she said.

“Women in particular suffer acutely from stigma and rejection. Haunted by these atrocities, and buffeted by present day political, security and economic challenges, the Yazidis remain determined to build a better future.”

“I take heart in the determination of the many Yazidis pursuing freedom and justice for their community”, said Hennis-Plasschaert. Still, she stated, their ordeal is not over. “Sinjar continues to suffer from insecurity, the absence of adequate services and the lack of a unified administration”.

“Why must they continue to pay the price?” she asked. “We know full well that sustainable solutions are within reach”, she added, “Stable governance and security structures are crucial foundations for the community to rebuild and thrive. We owe it to the victims. We owe it to the survivors. We owe it to our shared sense of humanity”.

Yesterday, Nechirvan Barzani, the president of Kurdistan Region greeted Yazidi people for the “Forty Days of Summer” holiday.