Rooted in Resilience: Reviving Agricultural Livelihoods in Sinjar

In 2014, ISIS deliberately targeted farmland across Sinjar, cutting off thousands of Yazidis from their primary source of income and sustenance. Fields were contaminated, irrigation systems destroyed, and farming equipment stolen or burned – decimating an agricultural economy that had sustained generations. For a community that once relied heavily on agriculture, the loss of farmland devastated both the local economy and a way of life.

Since then, Nadia’s Initiative has worked alongside survivors and returnees to restore what was lost. Today, across Sinjar, families are once again growing cucumbers, tending their crops, and reviving agricultural traditions that connect generations. Recovery has meant more than rehabilitating farmland – it has meant restoring daily life and the means to sustain it. By providing tools, training, and tailored support based on community needs, returnees are reclaiming their livelihoods and planting seeds of resilience for a new future rooted in dignity and self-reliance.