From genocide to justice: Iraq's reparations for Yazidi survivors

"Today, I feel better because I am seeing a tangible step toward the implementation of the YSL." – Manal, 2023

The program has since expanded. According to the Iraqi government, 2,354 people were benefiting from the law as of May 2025, including 1,099 women and girls, 1,231 people who had been abducted as children, and 24 survivors of mass killings. The government also reported that 262 survivors had received residential plots, 192 had accessed psychological or social support, 471 had been issued health cards, and 73 students had returned to education.

A June 2026 monitoring update reported further progress, with 2,496 survivors in total approved under the law and 2,216 receiving reparations in May. It also noted that a joint committee had helped issue civil documents to more than 5,000 survivors and relatives.

Gaps in accessing reparations

Accessing reparations remains difficult for many survivors. Applicants may have to travel long distances, replace missing documents, navigate multiple government offices, and repeatedly recount traumatic experiences. The additional requirement to file a judicial complaint has also been criticized as burdensome and stigmatizing, particularly for survivors living in displacement camps or remote areas. Recognizing these challenges, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women urged Iraq in 2026 to simplify application procedures, adopt gender-sensitive and non-stigmatizing practices, strengthen monitoring, and bring the law into closer alignment with international standards on reparation.

The experience of Kawe Haji, a displaced Yazidi mother living in Khanke camp, illustrates why documentation cannot be treated as a minor administrative issue. After her family fled Sinjar, the loss of identity documents prevented her two youngest children from obtaining birth certificates and enrolling in school. With legal assistance over several months, she eventually obtained the certificate needed to continue the process. Her experience demonstrates a broader reality; without legally recognized identity documents, survivors may be unable to access education, public services, and other basic rights.

Furthermore, the law does not fully address every form of harm caused by ISIS. Important gaps remain for children from non-Yazidi communities who were abducted, men and boys who survived conflict-related sexual violence, and children born of rape. In 2026, the CEDAW Committee called on Iraq to establish a legal framework protecting children born of rape, repeal discriminatory laws and practices, and ensure access to benefits, services, and reparations.

Return cannot be reduced to closing camps

Many families want to return to Sinjar, but their return must be safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable. Others may choose to integrate locally (i.e., where they are currently displaced) or settle elsewhere. A durable solution respects those choices rather than placing the burden of unresolved political and security challenges on displaced families.

Rebuilding Sinjar is therefore an essential part of reparations. Financial assistance may help families meet their immediate needs, but it cannot address the conditions that forced them from their homes. Progress also depends on inclusive agreements over Sinjar's governance and security. More broadly, rebuilding infrastructure, restoring public services, strengthening trust in state institutions, and creating conditions for peaceful coexistence can lead to reconciliation and long-term peacebuilding. Addressing the legacy of genocide is therefore not only about remedying past injustice but also about reducing the risk of future conflict.

Accountability remains unfinished

International investigations have established a substantial body of evidence documenting the crimes committed against the Yazidis. In September 2024, the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD) concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide had been committed against the Yazidis. UNITAD's mandate ended on 17 September 2024 after it produced 19 case assessments and analytical reports and developed an evidence archive for future proceedings.

The greater challenge is translating evidence into survivor-centered justice in Iraq. Although Iraq has prosecuted many ISIS suspects under its counter-terrorism laws, these cases have often focused on membership in ISIS rather than on the specific crimes against victims. As of 2026, Iraq had still not incorporated genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes as separate offenses under domestic law, limiting the ability of its courts to accurately recognize and prosecute these crimes.

Courts outside Iraq have demonstrated that accountability is possible for ISIS atrocities. In 2021, a German court issued the world's first conviction of an ISIS member for genocide against the Yazidis. While such cases are an important step toward justice, they cannot replace an accessible Iraqi justice system that allows survivors to participate safely and make full use of the evidence already collected.

Accountability extends beyond criminal prosecutions. It also includes searching for missing persons, identifying and returning human remains, protecting witnesses, and preserving the memory of what happened through memorialization. Each of these measures serves a different purpose, but together they help establish the truth, recognize victims, and reduce the risk of denial or future atrocities.