14. August 2024 – ADVOCACY
To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the genocide committed by the Islamic State (also known as Daesh, IS, ISIS, or ISIL) against minorities including the Yazidi, Christian, Shabak, Turkmen and other communities in Iraq, the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR), of which HÁWAR.help is a member, along with Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights, SEED Foundation, and Yazda, published a report featuring ten demands of survivors, ten years after the genocide.
With the report, C4JR hopes “to raise awareness of the current situation of survivors living in Iraq and abroad, and advocate for robust solutions to alleviate their suffering. Addressing these needs is crucial for the long-term recovery, stability, and dignity of survivors belonging to all affected groups.” Further, “a decade after experiencing brutal violence, captivity, and displacement, survivors’ unmet needs have profound implications for the prospects of closure, healing, and reintegration.”
According to the report, “10 years after the genocide committed by ISIL, and three years after the passage of the Yazidi Survivors’ Law (YSL) by Iraq’s parliament, survivors from across Iraq’s diverse communities continue to face systemic barriers to their recovery. A decade after experiencing brutal violence, captivity, and displacement, and while more than 2,600 Yazidis remain missing, the threat of camp closures for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and a lack of durable solutions loom over the anniversary.”
Thus, C4JR lines out the following demands:
1. Ensure the Safety, Security, and Protection of Minorities, and Prevent Violence
2. Provide Free and Accessible Healthcare
3. Address the Fate of Kidnapped and Missing Individuals and the Exhumation of Mass Graves
4. Support Survivors’ Economic Independence
5. Promote Justice and Accountability at the National and International Level
6. Secure a Safe, Dignified, and Voluntary End to Displacement
7. Ensure All Eligible Survivor Groups Can Equitably Access Reparations
8. Facilitate Access to Education
9. Pursue Recognition of the Genocide by the International Community
10. Fully Implement the Yazidi Survivors’ Law (YSL)
HÁWAR.help calls on all relevant governmental and non-governmental actors to renew their efforts and commit to the survivors’ demands and find ways to implement the outlined recommendations. You can find the full report here.