More than a decade after ISIS destroyed Shingal, Germany is urging Iraq to speed up reconstruction of the Ezidi homeland. Despite new laws and aid projects, most Ezidis remain displaced, and rebuilding has stalled amid political tensions and insecurity.
The documentary “Hawar, Our Banished Children” exposes the hidden trauma of Ezidi women raped by ISIS, who now search for the children born from these assaults. With 3,000 women still missing, the film highlights ongoing genocide, the rejection of these children by the Ezidi people, and the first European trials of jihadists for these crimes.
On August 3, 2014, the Ezidi people of Sinjar were targeted for extermination by ISIS. Thousands were killed, enslaved, and displaced. The genocide aimed to erase not only lives, but identity, culture, and the ancient faith of Sharfadin.
Eleven years later, justice remains out of reach. Sinjar is still unsafe. Survivors are still waiting. And Iraq has yet to formally recognize the genocide—blocked by those who try to claim the Ezidis as their own.
We remember the victims.
We name the truth.
And we will not stop until justice is done and our people can return home safely. Ezidi Times will continue to speak. Loudly. Relentlessly. Truthfully.
Eleven years after the Ezidi genocide, survivors are still waiting—for justice, for reparations, and for meaningful support. This event in Washington, DC brought Ezidi voices and policymakers together to ask: what will it take to finally move from commemoration to action?
Earlier this year, the United States dismantled its foreign aid agency, USAID, cutting billions of dollars in humanitarian and development support in Iraq. This decision has already left some of Iraq’s most vulnerable—like the Ezidi people of Sinjar—at risk of losing critical services essential to their survival and recovery.
A new Sky News documentary reveals the devastating reality that, ten years after the Ezidi genocide, many Ezidi women remain enslaved in ISIS detention camps. Titled 10 Years of Darkness: ISIS & The Ezidis, the documentary, led by Sky News special correspondent Alex Crawford, provides an in-depth look at the Read more
Many Ezidis remain unable to return to their homeland in Sinjar due to ongoing insecurity, political tensions, and the destruction left behind. Thousands continue to live in camps with limited access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Even those who have managed to return face immense hardships, with homes in ruins, infrastructure in poor condition, and economic instability making survival difficult. Justice remains elusive, as many perpetrators of the genocide are still free, and international attention has largely faded, leaving survivors feeling abandoned.
Mayada was only 11 when ISIS stormed her village, tearing her from her family and selling her into slavery. For three years, she endured relentless abuse, passed from one captor to another like a commodity. Yet, despite the horror, she never lost hope. After five failed escape attempts, she finally broke free, navigating landmine-ridden terrain to reach safety. Now, years later, she is not just a survivor—she is a voice for justice, determined to fight for those still in captivity.