Nadia’s Initiative, IOM build cemetery, memorial for Yazidi genocide victims

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – As the Yazidi community in Iraq continues to rebuild in the wake of genocide, construction of a cemetery and memorial in Solagh, Sinjar, officially commenced, according to a press statement issued by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Launched by Nadia’s Initiative (NI) in 2021 in response to requests from the Yazidi community, NI spent the last two years designing the cemetery and memorial in partnership with community members and a Yazidi architect, the statement mentioned.

This week, construction is officially underway with support from the IOM in Iraq and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the statement explained.

In August 2014, the Yazidi ethno-religious minority community in Sinjar was attacked by ISIS terrorist group in a systematic attempt to erase them from existence, according to the statement.  

Thousands of people were killed, hundreds of thousands were displaced, and more than six thousand women and children were enslaved. Today, around 2,700 Yazidis are still considered missing, while dozens of mass graves remain unexhumed, the statement elaborated.

“Grief is part of the healing process. Having a place to collectively mourn and remember our families, friends, and neighbors is vital for survivors, especially those who have returned to Sinjar,” said Nadia Murad, founder and president of Nadia’s Initiative, according to the statement.

Nadia’s Initiative is an international NGO dedicated to rebuilding communities in crisis and advocating globally for survivors of sexual violence. Its current work is focused on the sustainable redevelopment of the Yazidi homeland in Sinjar, Iraq, the statement added.