In 2014, terrorist group ISIS invaded parts of Iraq, wreaking havoc for many innocent civilians. One group of people who suffered immensely as a result of this is the Yazidi Community, a religious and ethnic minority residing within areas of Northern Iraq. Many Yazidis were killed, others enslaved and a recent report published by Amnesty International shows that those who suffered the most were children. Amnesty claims that there are now around 2,000 Yazidi children who survived the terrors of ISIS but have been abandoned and are ‘in desperate need of long-term support’, in what is described as an ‘unprecedented health crisis’.
THE MAIN FINDINGS OF THE REPORT
The report, ‘Legacy of Terror: The Plight of Yezidi Child Survivors of ISIS’, highlights various issues faced by Yazidi survivors. Many children have returned to their community with long-term mental and physical injuries. Mental health conditions such as PTSD, anxiety and depression are common. In particular, the report identifies two groups of child survivors: boys who were forced to become ISIS soldiers, and girls who were enslaved and subjected to sexual violence. These children have been abducted, tortured and exposed to horrific human rights abuses. Amnesty International’s Matt Wells states that ‘these children now need urgent support from the national authorities in Iraq and the international community’.
For the Yazidi boys who were captured, starved and forced to fight, physical disabilities such as lost limbs are common. Upon their return, they are often isolated from their community due to their experience of being exposed to propaganda and military training, which was intended to erase their former identities.
Yazidi girls who have suffered sexual violence at the hands of IS also continue to face long-term health issues, such as scarring and difficulties in conceiving and carrying children, as well as giving birth. In addition to this, those girls who gave birth as a result of sexual violence have been separated from their children and are unable to reconnect with them. The Amnesty report highlights how even those who wish to meet their children are prevented from doing so, due to cultural and religious reasons. Many women and girls have also been denied access to their children due to threats or false assurances from their own family members. Amnesty is now calling on international organisations such as the UNHCR to prioritise these women and children for resettlement, with the co-operation of governments worldwide.
One key point to arise from the report is the lack of education for the child survivors. Not only were they deprived of formal education during captivity, but there are many obstacles preventing them from accessing education now. One reason for this is that many are simply unaware of the academic options available to them, despite experts agreeing that attending school is essential in helping these survivors overcome their trauma.
Under international law, the rights to health and education, amongst others, are guaranteed to all children. It is clear that the Yazidi child survivors are being denied these rights. Although some organisations are working to provide these children with their basic rights, the report makes it clear that much more needs to be done.
THE CURRENT RESPONSE
In response to a letter highlighting the key findings of this report, the Kurdistan Regional Government stated that ‘the KRG legislative authority endorses compensation for the Yazidi survivors’. However, there has been no response yet from the Iraqi government.
Amnesty now calls on national authorities to fulfil their obligations towards these survivors and provide ‘meaningful, effective and long-term support’. They state that reparation measures must be established for the boys and girls affected, as well as their families who often had to pay large ransoms to allow their children to escape ISIS captivity. The health and psychosocial needs of these children must also be addressed, and Amnesty calls on the international community specifically to aid those women who wish to remain or reunite with their children.
Tanya is a Law student heading into the final year of her degree at the University of Manchester. She is interested in bringing attention to human rights issues arising from her Pro-Bono work at University (volunteering at the Legal Advice Centre and taking part in volunteering projects). Her main goal is to become a Barrister practising in either Criminal or Family Law.