Iraq: Over 2,000 Yazidi Women Receive Salaries Under Survivors Law

Over 2,200 Yazidi women, survivors of the ISIS genocide a decade ago, are now receiving monthly salaries from the Iraqi government under the Yazidi Survivors Law, enacted in March 2021, Rudaw reported yesterday. Sarab Ilias, head of the Yazidis affairs office at the Iraqi Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, reported that 2,228 women currently benefit from this initiative, with only 30 applications pending. Each survivor receives 800,000 Iraqi dinars (approximately $615) monthly.

The law aims to compensate Yazidi victims of the 2014 ISIS attacks in Shingal, where thousands were abducted and many remain missing. Despite the defeat of ISIS in territorial control, the group still poses security threats through kidnappings and attacks. Many Yazidis who fled to the Kurdistan Region are hesitant to return due to ongoing security concerns and inadequate basic services. This year, around 10,000 Yazidis have returned to Shingal, with families receiving 4 million Iraqi dinars (about $3,050) and essential household items.