Kurdish authorities’ closure of Yazda leaves more than 1,200 women and children without any support, warn activists

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Kurdish authorities have shut down a key charity that was supporting women and children from the Yazidi minority who survived Isis sexual slavery.

The decision to abruptly close Yazda leaves more than 1,200 women and children without material, psychological or social support, charity officials and human rights activists warn.

It may also complicate a programme to take some of the most vulnerable women and girls to Canada for resettlement, because Yazda was expected to be involved in the screening and identification of those in greatest need of protection, Canadian media reported.

The shutdown at the start of the year also leaves thousands of other Yazidi refugees, one of the most vulnerable minority groups in the region, without education, medical care or other basic support.

'You will stay here until you die': one woman's rescue from Isis Read more

Hundreds of thousands of Yazidis were driven from their homes in 2014 when Isis swept through the Sinjar region, their historic homeland.

They were targeted by the militants for even more brutal treatment than Christians or Shia Muslims. Thousands were killed, sometimes buried in mass graves, thousands more taken captive and often sold into sexual slavery, and hundreds of thousands were forced to flee into the mountains near their home.

The regional government said the charity, which began operating in Sinjar soon after Isis captured the region, was being shut down because of a long list of offences including encouraging Yazidis to leave Iraq, becoming involved in politics and failing to renew its license.

Local security forces arrived at the charity’s compound on 2 January, disrupted a meeting with a recently escaped survivor and ordered everyone present to leave before padlocking the gates of the offices. Field projects were closed down at the same time.

Staff at Yazda – whichprovided a copy of a license valid until November 2017 and strongly rejected all other government allegations – and said they were trying to speak to authorities about the charges.

“We’ve been trying to open a dialogue with the government, to resolve these issues and get back to work helping survivors badly impacted by this shutdown,” said Abid Shamdeen, a member of the Yazda board.

Yazda provides schooling for more than 200 children and healthcare for 15,000 people living in refugee camps, and thousands more who have been driven from their homes but not officially registered as displaced.



It also provides jobs, livestock and practical support for people in the Sinjar region, where homes and livelihoods were badly damaged by the Isis occupation.

Yazda is run and staffed largely by Yazidis, unlike most other charities in the region, and has been particularly important in supporting women survivors of captivity.

Human Rights Watch described the charity’s support as “vital” not only for those who have escaped and were trying to rebuild their lives, but for hundreds more being held captive in nearby Mosul, hoping to be freed as Iraqi forces push into the city.

“When they escape to safety it is crucial that organisations are in place to provide them with support,” said senior Iraq researcher Belkis Wille. The charity has also played a key role in raising awareness of Yazidi suffering beyond Iraq, and boosting international support for survivors, she added.

“Yazda has advocated for Yezidi victims by encouraging more international support for assistance and by supporting the work of the UN goodwill ambassador for the dignity of survivors of human trafficking, Nadia Murad, a Yezidi woman abducted by Isis.”