11/10/2021 Iraq (International Christian Concern) – This year Iraq’s parliament passed the Yazidi Survivors Law to provide reparations to specifically the Yazidi community, but also other minority groups like Christians who suffered under the Islamic State. While the law is a necessary and crucial step in moving forward, more should be done to address the holistic needs of survivors.
Perhaps most notably, authorities built the law ignoring several key recommendations made by organizations representing victim communities. Therefore, the law lacks a survivor-centered approach. A researcher with Amnesty International said, “Children who were born as a result of sexual violence by IS members are not specifically referenced in the law, and nor are the needs of their mothers. This is a significant omission which must be addressed to ensure justice for all Yezidi survivors.”
As authorities move forward towards the implementation of the law, it will be important that these neglected groups are addressed and provisions are made to reach the far corners of the Islamic State victims.
At present, the Yazidi Survivors Law provides a monthly stipend, a plot of land or home, schooling support, and access to psychosocial and health services. Those eligible include survivors of IS crimes, women and girls subjected to sexual violence, and child survivors abducted before age 18.
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