UN envoy urges return of Iraq’s long-displaced persons, including Yazidis

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqis displaced by the Islamic State (ISIS) more than a decade ago must return to their hometowns and villages, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, Mohamed Al Hassan, urged on Tuesday, noting that Iraq’s primary struggle has shifted from politics to the realms of intellectual and scientific development.

Speaking at the Middle East Peace and Security (MEPS) Forum in the Kurdistan Region’s northern Duhok province, Al Hassan expressed astonishment that thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs), particularly members of the Yazidi community, remain in camps years after the territorial defeat of ISIS.

“There are still displaced Yazidis in camps inside Iraq, and they should return to the areas from which they were uprooted, as this represents the end of the battle with ISIS,” he stressed, urging fundamental solutions to enable the return of all displaced persons of every sect and community.

In June 2014, ISIS launched a brutal offensive across northern and western Iraq, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. By August, the group began its assault on the Yazidi community in their heartland of Shingal (Sinjar) in Nineveh province, killing an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 Yazidi men and older women.

The extremist group also abducted around 7,000 women and girls for sexual slavery and human trafficking, and drove some 400,000 Yazidis to flee.

Although Iraq declared full territorial victory over ISIS in 2017, around 21,000 Yazidi families - roughly 125,000 people - remain displaced, mostly in camps in Duhok, according to figures from Baghdad’s migration and displacement ministry.

Their return has been obstructed by security concerns, political disputes, and stalled reconstruction efforts, while the presence of multiple armed groups in Shingal continues to create instability and deter many from going home.

In addition to addressing the plight of IDPs, Al Hassan, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), said Iraq’s main challenges have shifted, remarking, “The coming battle will not be political, but one of intellectual and scientific superiority.”

He urged political parties to accelerate efforts to form a new government following Iraq’s latest legislative elections, and emphasized the importance of upholding the country’s legal framework to maintain national unity.

“Iraq today is a federal state, and it is necessary to respect the constitution that entrenches this federalism,” he said, stressing the need to shield the country from political infighting and ensure that “ordinary citizens and their livelihoods remain unaffected by political disputes.”

Al Hassan concluded by reaffirming the UN’s full commitment to Iraq, stating that the organization “stands ready to provide all forms of assistance without hesitation.”