By Anas al-Bar | 2023-09-04

After nine years of displacement and enduring hardships in refugee camps, Yazidi families are gradually making their way back to Sinjar in Iraq's Ninawa province.

Iraqi officials are working hard to return Yazidis who wish to come back to their hometown. In the past three months, hundreds of Yazidis who were living in refugee camps in Dohuk province have returned.

Iraqi Minister of Migration and Displacement Evan Faeq Jabro announced on August 11 the return of the latest group of internally displaced persons (IDPs), including 293 Yazidis, from refugee camps.

The process of bringing displaced families back "is proceeding very smoothly, with coordination between the relevant security services and local governments, and without any significant problems," she said.

On an August 20 trip to Sinjar, where she met with returning Yazidis, Jabro said the ministry supports the voluntary return of IDPs, adding that the government is devoting considerable attention to their return and to ensuring the city's stability.

The Yazidis' return is part of the plan to support the voluntary return of IDPs to their hometowns, in coordination between Iraq's central government and the Kurdish region's government.

In a press conference held on July 24, Kurdish region's Minister of Interior Rebar Ahmed announced the launch of the second phase of efforts to return IDPs who are from Sinjar.

The 26 refugee camps in the area, including 16 in Dohuk, host about 300,000 displaced Yazidis, he said.

The first phase of the plan included the return of 444 families who asked to return to their hometowns, he added.

'Better than life in the camp'

Tahseen Shengali, 51, a Yazidi who recently returned to Sinjar, said he was initially hesitant to come back, but felt comfortable upon arrival.

"Things here in Sinjar are normal, shops are open and people are carrying on with their activities," he said.

"Contrary to my initial belief, there is no cause for anxiety or fear here," he told Al-Fassel.

"There are no security problems, and the army provides adequate protection for the people."

He said the only problem is public services. Electricity and running water are still not adequately available, and the condition of the roads is still not satisfactory, he added.

Still, "the situation here is better than life in the camp," he said.

Yazidi representatives are urging the Iraqi government to speed up the ongoing process of reconstruction in Sinjar, as the education, health and municipal sectors remain in shatters.

More than 5,000 homes were entirely damaged in Sinjar, as the city was the site of heavy battles and rights violations by "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) fighters.

Mahma Khalil, the Yazidis' representative in the Iraqi parliament, said that one-third of Sinjar's 88,000 population have now returned, noting that a lack of public services has impeded the return of more.

Khalil stressed the need to "intensify efforts to normalize the situation in Sinjar and achieve sustainable security, which would create an environment that attracts and encourages the IDPs to return."

Incentives to return

Iraqi officials say they are making efforts to encourage all IDPs, including Yazidis, to leave the camps, and to facilitate their return and ensure their living areas are stable and secure.

Ali Abbas Jahangir, an official with the Ministry of Migration and Displacement, said the government incentives include the allocation of 1.5 million IQD ($1,145) to each returning family.

Over 2,000 Yazidi families who have returned to Sinjar have received this sum and were also provided with emergency food baskets, he said.

In addition, the government compensates the returnees for repairing their homes and other properties that were damaged during the war on ISIS.

Jahangir said he hopes that some 5,000 Yazidi returnees will receive generous compensation, adding that the grant program has been reinstated after a period of hiatus due to the delay in the approval of the government's annual budget.

The government has support programs in place for Yazidis and other Iraqis returning home from displacement camps, he said.

These include programs to enable women and youth to develop new skills and start income-generating projects that promote development.

The Iraqi government also announced at the beginning of this year that Yazidis now have the right to own the lands and homes they have occupied in Sinjar for decades.

The decision was welcomed by the Yazidi community as well as the United Nations, and it has garnered international praise.