04/17/2020

Covid-19 in Northern Iraq

Fear of IS return and increasing suicides (Press Release)

Yazidi IDP camp. Picutre: Alice Aedy/Nobody's Listening

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) and 24 other human rights organizations have published an urgent joint declaration, stating that several already traumatized communities in northern Iraq are not prepared for a possible wave of coronavirus infections. The necessary restrictions on movement are leading to more psychological suffering, giving reason to fear increased suicide rates. In addition, the security vacuum in the region might allow the so-called Islamic State (IS) to regain strength.

"The coronavirus pandemic has severe effects on the mental health of refugees," stated Lina Stotz, expert on ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities and nationalities, on behalf of the STP. "We are particularly concerned about the displaced Yazidi women, men, and children who survived the genocide and are now struggling with contact bans and the problematic hygienic situation in the cramped refugee camps". Suicide rates are already rising, and Yazidi women and children in particular are in urgent need of psychological care.

The public health system in Sinjar and the wider Nineveh district had suffered dramatically during the IS occupation. Due to the high population density in refugee camps, social distancing is not possible, and hygiene measures such as hand washing are not sufficient to contain the spread of Covid-19. To date, there is no reliable information on the spread of the virus since no tests were carried out in the camps so far. At the same time, the restrictions on movement are obstructing humanitarian aid work.

Meanwhile, the International Crisis Group reported that IS had – in its weekly newsletter Al-Naba – demanded IS-fighters to attack its enemies as long as they are distracted by the pandemic. "If IS were to regain strength in the wake of the pandemic in Iraq, this would further aggravate the already precarious situation for years to come," Stotz emphasized. "The WHO and the UN must therefore take immediate measures to protect the suffering Yazidis, Assyrians, and other communities in Iraq.

The declaration – including the list of signatories – can be downloaded here.

Header image: Alice Aedy/Nobody's Listening