Murad Ismael, the executive director of the Yezidi NGO Yazda, recently completed a three-week visit to Shingal and Iraq meeting with diplomats from Europe, the United States, aid organizations, and officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Iraqi government.
Yazda has posted job openings based in Shingal which include requirements for agricultural-related qualifications. Shingal has some mountains, but much of the area is flat allowing wheat and other food staples to be grown and harvested.
"Yazda is also doubling its staff in Duhok and Nineveh as part of our new partnerships with USAID, IOM, and Heartland Alliance," Ismael stated.
The three organizations then followed up on his comments with a statement on Tuesday, unveiling a "30-month pilot project funded by USAID to reintegrate IDPs from minority communities in Nineveh who are survivors of severe human rights abuses."
"This will include the establishment of three centers in Qaraqosh, Bashiqa, and Sinjar [Shingal] that will provide legal, mental health and psychological support, livelihoods and basic medical services," detailed the statement. Qaraqosh is primarily a Christian and Shabak city, Bashiqa is Christian, and Sinjar is Yezidi.
Ismael was pessimistic as Iraq formed its new government without any Yezidis from Shingal and just one Yezidi member of parliament who gained his seat through the minority quota. And prior to the Kurdistan Region parliament election, he expressed a lack of faith among Yezidis in the democratic systems in both governments.
And not without good reason — other than some roads, Shingal remains in rubble and lacking security and basic services; gaps in local psychosocial care and the lack of justice also play a role in Yezidi dissatisfaction.
"Not even 10 families have returned to the area since October 16 events. On the contrary, they are people are returning to camps because the situation is not stable and there are many groups such as Hashd al-Shaabi and PKK," said Naif Saido, director of Snune, a Shingal subdistrict. He, himself, says he is not able to return "officially," explaining the area remains heavily politicized.
At least four distinct armed groups are active in various parts Shingal including the regular Iraqi military, Hashd al-Shaabi, Shingal Protection Units (YBS), the Ezidkhan Protection Units. Turkish media have reported the US military has also established some outposts. The US military does not reveal exact locations of its deployed forces.
Saido has seen the reports, but could not confirm the foreign troop presence.
"There is a threat [on Shingal] and people fear that Daesh may reemerge in the area," he said, referring to ISIS.
Whether Yezidi partisanship or other factors are preventing return, activists are still campaigning for more funding to assist livelihoods and then hopefully rebuild Shingal itself.
"The EU plans to strengthen its ongoing stabilisation and reconstruction efforts in the Sinjar region in Iraq through a €1 million contribution to Nadia Murad's Sinjar Action Fund" initiative, the European Commission stated on Monday — International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Murad, a Yezidi survivor, was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize this year in recognition for her efforts raising awareness of sexual violence in conflict.
The EU then announced a €56.5 million package "to promote sustainable job creation and strengthen support to refugees, internally displaced populations and their host communities in Iraq" on Tuesday.
The United States has allocated $70 million directly to religious minorities and vulnerable communities in Nineveh through the USAID Genocide Recovery and Prosecution Response Program in July.
As Shingal remains a disputed or Kurdistani area claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad and its administrative status is unsettled, it remains unclear how much funding will find its way there. An agreement was announced in late October that would allow the Kurdistan Democratic Party-controlled Shingal administration to return to assume its duties after more than a year of inactivity.
"The Mosul government and governor and the provincial council do not deal with them. Our salaries as still sent [from Baghdad] and we do not work," said Saido of the new administration.
Economically, Shingal has rock quarries and was known for its concrete manufacturing and untapped oil reserves. Yezidis, who were persecuted against prior to the ISIS genocide, primarily subsisted by farming, raising animals, and working as laborers.
"The civilians are not pressured by the administration," said Saido, explaining that the problem is international organizations are not recognizing the legitimacy of the new officials.
The Kurdistan Region has hosted approximately two-thirds of the population of Shingal. Others remain unaccounted for with thousands believed to still be in ISIS captivity. Some have defiantly remained despite the security concerns.
The KRG and Iraq's goodwill will be for naught if an agreement with the federal government is not reached at the highest levels. The international community can only do so much through funding, advice, and support — and not indefinitely.
As were the cases with the border, international flight ban, budget, and Kirkuk oil crises over the past year, the international community cannot truly commit to assisting what would be relatively minimal efforts until the two premiers in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, respectively — newly-elected Adil Abdul-Mahdi and incumbent Nechirvan Barzani — reach an agreement for the sake of their people and governments.
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