Medya News
Subscribe
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • More
    • Audio Articles
    • Economy
    • Culture & Art
    • Ecology
    • Newsletter
    • Daily Review
Youtube
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • More
    • Audio Articles
    • Economy
    • Culture & Art
    • Ecology
    • Newsletter
    • Daily Review
Youtube
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
Medya News

Sinjar’s resistance and concerns over the safety of Yazidis

1:53 am 01/02/2021
A A
Share this
FacebookTwitterRedditEmailLinkedInWhatsApp

Due to an agreement that was recently reached between the Iraq government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) regarding the future status of Sinjar, the area has taken centre stage in many critical discussions regarding the future safety of Yazidis.

Sinjar, where Yazidis live, is located in Northern Iraq (Southern Kurdistan). It is a district of the city of Mosul. On 3 August 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) attacked Sinjar and the Yazidis who lived here. When ISIS reached the city centre, the peshmerga forces withdrew and left the area vulnerable to attack. ISIS massacred Yazidis in this region and occupied the area for over a year.

The withdrawal of the Pesmerga

Before the attacks, the KRG administration and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Chair Mesud Barzani had promised the Yazidis that they would protect them. Consequently, several Yazidi families did not leave their villages that were located around Sinjar. In addition to this, pesmerga forces had stopped people who tried to leave the area. However, twelve thousand pesmerga withdrew following instructions of the KDP. Unprotected, the Yazidis faced massacres.

According to eyewitnesses, ISIS attacked the Yazidi holy city of Sinjar on the night of 3 August. ISIS attacked Sibe Şex Xidir and Girzerik villages. After the pesmerga forces withdrew and left their heavy guns behind, Yazidis were forced to flee and shelter in the Sinjar mountains. During this period, Yazidis were subjected to horrific massacres by ISIS.

Resistance

Following the withdrawal of pesmerga forces, Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) forces came to the area. The PKK guerillas began to resist for six days under harsh conditions and Yazidi youth also began to fight against ISIS. After five days of resistance, troops from the People’s Defence Forces (HPG) arrived in the war zone on 6 August to support the resistance.

Yazidis who survived the massacres fled to different parts of the Middle East. Many Yazidis found themselves in camps. Some Yazidis were housed in camps created by the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and went to Turkey. Around 4,000 Yazidis who crossed the Turkish border were housed in camps organised by the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) in the eastern provinces of Turkey.

At the same time, a humanitarian aid corridor was opened to Northern Syria to save the Yazidis. Thousands of Yazidis were transported safely to the cities of Northern Syria thanks to the corridor opened up with the help of the People’s Defense Units (YPG) from Northern Syria.

Yazidis organized Sinjar Defence Units (YBŞ) to resist the massacres in 2014. Yazidi women also established their own defence units (called Sinjar Women’s Units – YPJ) in 2015. The YBŞ and YPJ established Yazidi Public Order (Êzidxan Asayiş) to ensure the internal security of Sinjar in 2016. This security organisation has protected villages and central points of Sinjar since then.

Consequences of ISIS attacks

ISIS murdered thousands of Yazidis, and took thousands of women and children as prisoners. Some of the prisoners were sold by ISIS members in various Arab countries in slave markets. Many Yazidis were killed and many were raped. Some of the Yazidis who managed to escape passed through to Syria, the Iraqi Kurdistan Region or Turkey.

According to the data provided by Yazidi Rescue Office, 6,417 Yazidis were kidnapped by ISIS in August 2014. 3,451 Yazidis were rescued or escaped; 2,966 Yazidis remained in captivity or their whereabouts remain unknown; 2,745 children were left as orphans and 80 mass graves have so far been found.

Share this
FacebookTwitterRedditEmailLinkedInWhatsApp
Tags: Trending

Related Posts

German magazine slams Turkey’s Erdoğan

German magazine slams Turkey’s Erdoğan

January 27, 2023
Thousands of Syrian troops around Kobane tasked with ‘defending Syrian territories’: Abdi

Thousands of Syrian troops around Kobane tasked with ‘defending Syrian territories’: Abdi

January 27, 2023
Medya News Daily Review: 27 January 2023

Medya News Daily Review: 27 January 2023

January 27, 2023
Turkey top defendant in European Court of Human Rights in 2022

Turkey top defendant in European Court of Human Rights in 2022

January 27, 2023
Campaigners to submit petition to delist PKK to European Union

Campaigners to submit petition to delist PKK to European Union

January 27, 2023
Turkey’s Constitutional Court accepts indictment calling for closure of the HDP

Turkey’s HDP fights back against Treasury block with donation campaign

January 26, 2023

Videos

Medya News Daily Review: 27 January 2023
DAILYSHOW

Medya News Daily Review: 27 January 2023

January 27, 2023

All News

German magazine slams Turkey’s Erdoğan

Thousands of Syrian troops around Kobane tasked with ‘defending Syrian territories’: Abdi

Medya News Daily Review: 27 January 2023

Turkey top defendant in European Court of Human Rights in 2022

Campaigners to submit petition to delist PKK to European Union

Turkey’s HDP fights back against Treasury block with donation campaign

Medya News

Impressum

About us

Privacy Policy

Subscribe
Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • World
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • Ecology
  • Economy
  • Culture & Art
  • Daily Show
  • Newsletter
  • Authors
  • Podcast

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Add New Playlist

Loading
Contact