The Yazidi (or Êzidî) community is a religious minority, originally from Northern Iraq and Northern Syria. Due to ongoing conflicts and crimes committed against the community, large numbers of the Yazidi community have been forcibly displaced and now live in refugee camps or in the diaspora spread across the globe.

 

Since July 2021, UHfR has developed a strong working relationship with a displaced Yazidi community. During this time, we have built close connections with leaders and members of the community and they have taught us about the community’s rich and long history. As a result, we have come to focus much of our efforts on collaborating with the community to support their direct needs, similarly to our emergency response program outlined above.

 

Through our emergency response program, UHfR has been effective in working with, and providing assistance to, a large Yazidi community living in particularly precarious circumstances. We provide essential nutrition and hygiene products, facilitate access to health services, support the maintenance of cultural identity and heritage, advocate for the protection and fulfillment of their human rights, and raise awareness of their complex history and circumstances.

 

At the same time we are focused on raising awareness about the culture and history of the Yazidis through sharing their stories and testimonies. Our aim is to share information, reduce stigmas, and to support the community in their efforts to preserve the unique Yazidi identity for future generations.

 

The effectiveness of our work relies on the close and trusted relationships and strong bonds we have developed with community representatives, ensuring we are able to respond quickly and carefully to the ever-changing needs of the community. Whilst acknowledging the limitations we face, our hope and vision is to support and assist the Yazidi community through a long-term partnership towards building community resilience and wellbeing.

 

The Yazidi community face extremely complex challenges due to their exceptional history and sensitive circumstances. As such, a high degree of security is essential to ensure their safety. Therefore, we appreciate your understanding of our need for discretion in relation to sharing detailed information about our work with this community.

We welcome you to contact us directly if you are interested to learn more about the details of our work, and look forward to working together towards supporting the needs and future of the Yazidi community.