Human Rights Watch has expressed concern over the imminent closure of displacement camps in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, scheduled for July 30, which poses significant risks to the rights of many residents from the Sinjar district.
The region, devastated by conflicts with ISIS between 2014 and 2017, still suffers from unsafe conditions and a lack of essential services, making the return of displaced persons precarious.
Currently, 23 camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) house approximately 157,000 displaced individuals, many from Sinjar, according to data from the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Interior Ministry.
Sarah Sanbar, an Iraq researcher at Human Rights Watch, emphasized that while the residents of Sinjar, including a significant number of Yazidis, deserve to return to their homes, such returns must be safe and voluntary.
She highlighted the inadequate infrastructure and services in Sinjar, where eighty percent of public facilities and seventy percent of homes have been destroyed. The International Organization for Migration reports that about 183,000 people from Sinjar remain displaced, with the majority being Yazidis, and many towns in Sinjar have seen little to no returnees since the conflict.
The Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement, while setting the closure deadline, has also introduced incentives to encourage returns, including financial aid, government employment opportunities, social security benefits, and interest-free loans for small businesses.
Additionally, during a March 19 visit to Chamishko camp in Dohuk, representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office presented displaced individuals with options for returning to Sinjar, relocating to other federally controlled cities, or remaining in KRI outside the camps. Residents have urged the government to provide adequate compensation and rebuild services before expecting them to return.
Human Rights Watch’s 2023 report criticized the Iraqi government for not compensating Sinjaris for their property and livelihood losses, delayed reconstruction, unstable security conditions, and a lack of justice for the crimes committed against them. As of early 2024, despite thousands of approved claims, no compensations have been disbursed to the victims from Sinjar, according to the official in charge of the compensation committee.
