Statement from Nadia’s Initiative on the 11th Anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide (English - عربي)
ENGLISH
Today, Yazidis gather in Sinjar and around the world to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the Yazidi Genocide – one of the most brutal atrocities of our time. The attack was carried out by ISIS in a deliberate and systematic attempt to annihilate an entire people through mass killings, sexual slavery, torture, forced conversions, the abduction of children, and the erasure of Yazidi identity.
We join the Yazidi community in solemn remembrance of the thousands of innocent men, women, and children who were murdered; the more than 2,500 who remain missing; and the many others whose fate is still unknown.
At Nadia’s Initiative, we stand in solidarity with survivors and families of the victims as they continue to fight for justice, accountability, and lasting peace. We honor the extraordinary resilience of survivors – their courage to rebuild, to speak out against injustice, and to reclaim a future that ISIS sought to destroy.
Through global advocacy and local programs in Sinjar, Nadia’s Initiative continues to champion justice and accountability; support the long-term recovery of survivors of genocide and conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV); and rebuild communities in crisis. Across all of this work, we take a survivor-centered and community-driven approach – believing that long-term peacebuilding must be shaped by those most affected.
Despite unimaginable hardships, Yazidi survivors have never stopped fighting – for their families, for their homeland, for justice. But this is not a burden they should have to carry alone. The atrocities they endured represent a collective moral failure. The only just response is sustained, survivor-centered support, grounded in action – not sentiment. Governments, international organizations, and all those with a stake in human rights must meet the courage of survivors with equal resolve.
Eleven years later, the impact of the genocide persists – in mass graves still unexhumed, in homes still in ruins, in families still torn apart, in women still grappling with the long-term effects of sexual violence, and in the tens of thousands who remain trapped in displacement camps. While the pace of world events only accelerates, this is not a closed chapter in history. It is a living crisis.
Even as new crises demand the world’s attention, we urge the international community not to withdraw support from the Yazidis at this critical time. Despite the progress that has been made, the path to justice remains unfinished – and those who stood alone against ISIS should not be left to finish this work alone. Therefore, we call on the international community to:
Exert meaningful pressure on the Iraqi government to fulfill its responsibility to Yazidis by investing substantially in Sinjar’s recovery and removing all obstacles hindering the safe and voluntary return of displaced persons. This includes reconstruction of critical infrastructure, expanded livelihood opportunities that foster economic resilience among returnees, and full implementation of the Yazidi Survivors’ Law, with transparency and urgency. These efforts must be survivor-centered and locally driven to promote sustainable solutions, rebuild trust, and ensure lasting stability in the region.
Establish a viable legal pathway to accountability following the dismantling of UNITAD. Survivors who bravely gave testimony did so on the premise that justice would follow – they deserve a process that honors that promise. A hybrid court represents the most transparent and effective way to prosecute ISIS perpetrators and their enablers using the evidence UNITAD collected. Without justice, impunity reigns. And without accountability, these crimes risk being repeated – not only against Yazidis, but against other communities targeted by genocidal violence around the world.
Intensify efforts to bring the missing home. More than 2,500 Yazidis – the majority of them women and children, many abducted by ISIS as minors – remain unaccounted for. U.N. member states must lead a global coalition of governments, NGOs, survivor-led groups, the private sector, and civil society to pursue justice, hold perpetrators accountable, and support survivors of trafficking. This requires enhanced coordination and sustained political, financial, and logistical support for rescue and reintegration efforts.
Halt the deportation of Yazidi asylum seekers. Many Yazidis who sought refuge abroad now face the threat of being forcibly returned to Iraq. Recent deportations, such as those from Germany, are inhumane and unjust. We urge European governments – and others around the world – to grant Yazidis permanent protection. Yazidis deserve to live in safety and dignity, not in fear of being sent back to face the very conditions they once fled.
August 3 is not only a day of remembrance – it is a call to recommit. To stand with survivors not just in words, but in action. To meet their strength with our solidarity. To help build the just world they have never stopped fighting for.
Survivors are leading the way – but no one rebuilds from genocide alone. In the aftermath of atrocities, they need sustained support to turn resilience into recovery, and courage into lasting change. That fight – the fight for justice, for healing, for dignity – lives on.
It lives on in the young woman who was taken by ISIS at age eleven, endured five years in captivity, and came home determined to care for her family – most recently by training to open a salon alongside other women from her community.
It lives on in the mother who gave birth in captivity, buried her newborn son in a shallow grave, and still rises each day striving to give her surviving children a better future.
It lives on in the young man who lost 35 family members – carrying that grief, but not broken – who helped his siblings finish school, then enrolled in college himself, believing that education was the strongest weapon against the violence that tried to destroy his people.
And it lives on in the story of our founder, who survived genocide, captivity, and displacement, then transformed her pain into a global movement to end sexual violence, support fellow survivors, and rebuild communities torn apart by conflict.
This is what resilience looks like. This is what leadership looks like. And today, we send a clear message to the Yazidi community – one of solidarity, grounded in action: You are not alone.
We are grateful for individuals, governments, and organizations across the world who continue to reject indifference and stand with survivors – guided by the shared conviction that despite the challenges we face, a more just world is still within reach.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact: press@nadiasinitiative.org
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عربي
