Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State perpetrated war crimes against the Yazidi community
MADRID, 30 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Amnesty International (AI) warned on Thursday that 1,992 Yazidi children who have returned to their families after living under the captivity of the jihadist group Islamic State suffer a physical and mental health crisis.
In a report, entitled ‘Legacy of Terror: The Difficult Situation of Yazidi Children Surviving Islamic State,’ the agency focuses on the consequences that children suffer after being kidnapped, tortured, forced to fight, raped and suffering others. “Terrible” abuses against Human Rights by Islamic State.
“Although the nightmare of their past is behind them, these children continue to struggle. Having endured the horrors of war at an extremely young age, they now need the urgent support of Iraqi national authorities and the international community to build their future, “said AI’s Assistant Director of Crisis Response for Thematic Issues, Matt Wells.
Between 2014 and 2017, the Islamic State perpetrated war crimes, crimes against humanity and what the UN describes as genocide against the Yazidi community in Iraq.
According to the 56-page report, many surviving children – child soldiers and girls subjected to sexual violence – have returned with long-term debilitating injuries, illnesses or physical disabilities.
As for mental health problems, the ones that most often suffer are post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. Thus, among the usual symptoms and behaviors are aggression, flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of social situations, and pronounced changes in mood.
The work points out that the jihadist group starved, tortured and forced to fight thousands of captured Yazidi children. Consequently, many of these former child soldiers are at increased risk of serious illness or physical disabilities, such as loss of arms or legs.
In addition, they are often isolated on their return, as their families and communities have difficulty accepting their experiences during captivity. The report highlights that, in many cases, they have been subjected to intense propaganda, indoctrination and military training with the deliberate purpose of erasing their previous identity, language and name.
“I was forced to fight. Either I did or I died. I had no other choice. The situation was out of my control. To survive, I chose to fight. It is the worst thing that can happen to any human being, the most degrading (When I returned from captivity) I was just looking for someone to take care of me, some support, someone to say ‘I’m here for you’ That’s what I have been looking for, but I have not found, Sahir said, subjected to forced recruitment at age 15, to AI.
As for girls, the work highlights that they have suffered “all kinds of abuse” under the captivity of the Islamic State, including sexual violence. Girls survivors of sexual violence suffer from various health problems, including traumatic fistulas, scars, and difficulties conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to term.
“When they married me, I was a girl. They made me suffer. I want to have a better future. I want the Islamic State to be held accountable for what it did to me,” said Randa, 14, who was under the captivity of the Islamic State for five years.
According to AI, for the most part, existing services and programs for survivors of sexual violence have neglected girls. “These girls have been systematically subjected to the horror of living under the Islamic State, and now they are being abandoned to their fate. They must be given the support they so desperately need to rebuild their lives as part of the future of the Yazidi community,” she said. Wells.
THE CHILDREN OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE
The report also addresses the “urgent” need to end the forced separation of women and their sons and daughters born as a result of sexual violence inflicted by members of the Islamic State.
Yazidi women and girls subjected to sexual slavery by Islamic State fighters have given birth to hundreds of boys and girls. Many of them have been denied a place in the Yazidi community due to various factors.
Among them, the position of the Yazidí Supreme Spiritual Council and the current legal framework of Iraq, which establishes the obligation to register as a Muslim, every boy or girl with an “unknown” or Muslim father, stand out.
Several women interviewed by Amnesty International stated that they had been pressured, coerced, or even tricked into abandoning their children, causing serious psychological distress.
They had also been falsely assured that they could visit their children or be reunited with them at a later stage. All of the women interviewed who had been separated from their children said that they had had no contact with or access to them, and that they felt unable to speak to their family or community about their desire to be reunited with their children because they feared for their own safety.
In this regard, AI has called on international organizations and UNHCR to give priority to these women and minors and to fast-track their resettlement or humanitarian relocation, with the cooperation of foreign authorities and governments.
EDUCATION, LANGUAGE AND DEBTS
Furthermore, surviving Yazidi minors were deprived of access to formal education during their years of captivity. Now many lose the accelerated learning programs available, either because they are unaware of their existence or because excessive bureaucracy discourages them. The consequence, AI remarks, is that many minors “completely” give up the educational system, which, however, would help them overcome their trauma.
On the other hand, Yazidi minors have returned speaking Arabic instead of Kurdish, preventing them from fully reintegrating into their family and community. Many already poor families are also heavily indebted after being forced to pay ransoms of tens of thousands of US dollars to secure the release of their children.
“When the sixth anniversary of the Islamic State attack against the Yazidi minority is going to be celebrated, the national authorities of Iraq and the international community must do everything in their power to guarantee full reparations for the violations of the rights of these minors, and provide them with the support they are entitled to, “Wells concluded.
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