Ezidis in Cologne recently met with the city’s new mayor to share their culture and discuss growing concerns about deportations. The meeting emphasized dialogue, understanding, and the need for stronger protection and inclusion in Germany.
Tens of thousands of displaced Ezidis remain in Duhok camps as attempts to return to Shengal are stalled by destroyed homes, lack of services, and security instability.
The abrupt suspension of US aid to Iraq has left thousands of Ezidi genocide survivors stranded in displacement camps, stripped of vital mental health, protection, and humanitarian services.
The Ezidi people endured brutal attacks in 2014 when ISIS forcibly displaced them from their ancestral homeland in northern Iraq, killing and enslaving thousands. ISIS falsely accused the Ezidis—whose ancient religion, Sharfadin, has roots in Mesopotamia—of worshipping Satan. After the military defeat of ISIS, many Ezidis remained in United Nations camps for internally displaced persons, relying heavily on humanitarian assistance.
The Ezidi people, an ancient ethnic and religious group from northern Iraq, continue to face dire conditions in displacement camps years after ISIS attacks forced them from their homes. The reduction in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has severely impacted reconstruction efforts, access to medical care, and essential services in camps where many Ezidis remain internally displaced.