Head of Office for Rescuing Yezidi Captives Hussein Qaidi: Hundreds of Yezidis still missing, many suspected to be in Syria

ARBA’ILO, Kurdistan Region of Iraq — More than a decade after the Islamic State (ISIS) militants launched devastating attacks on Yezidi communities in Shigur (Shingal /Sinjar) and surrounding areas, efforts to rescue and rehabilitate survivors continue. Hussein Qaidi, head of the Office for Rescuing Yezidi Captives from ISIS, announced that approximately 5,500 abductees have been successfully rescued.

Qaidi emphasized, however, that many survivors require urgent psychological rehabilitation due to the lasting trauma inflicted during their captivity.

He highlighted a 2015 agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Germany, which enabled the transfer of around 1,000 survivors to Germany for mental health treatment. Similar initiatives have since been extended to Australia, Canada, and the United States, offering survivors professional care and the option to return to Iraq or remain in their host countries.

Qaidi noted that some missing Yezidis are believed to be detained in Al-Hol Camp of North and East Syria, located in Hasakah’s countryside, while others may have been moved beyond Syria’s borders.

He stressed the ongoing difficulties in locating and repatriating the remaining captives, underscoring the importance of sustained international cooperation to resolve the crisis.

“While we have made significant progress in rescuing those abducted by ISIS, the psychological wounds of survivors and the uncertainty surrounding the fate of the missing remain profound challenges,” Qaidi said.

The call for global solidarity highlights the enduring impact of ISIS’s atrocities on the Yezidi community and the need for comprehensive efforts to support their recovery and reintegration.