Mental Health Crisis Among Yazidis Living in IDP Camps Worsens

The Yazidi community is mourning the loss of another innocent life. After ISIS claimed the lives of her husband and son, Sheren committed suicide by self immolation in the IDP camp where she was displaced for 6 years and suffered from severe depression w/out support for her recovery.

Cases like Sheren’s are on the rise, as the needs of Yazidi survivors of genocide and sexual violence remain unmet. Médecins Sans Frontières reported that 100% of Yazidi families have 1+ member experiencing a mental health issue and the need for support vastly exceeds capacity.

International organizations and local actors must focus on the need to stabilize Sinjar and enable a dignified return of those still displaced. Without mental health support and the opportunity to return to their homes, the trauma from ISIS’s crimes will continue to kill.