Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy Daniel B. Shapiro met with Yezidi civil society leaders in the Pentagon on July 26 on the eve of the 10-year anniversary on August 3 of the genocide perpetrated by ISIS against the Yezidis as well as Christians, and Shia Muslims. ISIS committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing against these same groups, and in some cases against Sunni Muslims, Kurds, and other communities.
Reflecting on the horrors endured by the victims of ISIS, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Shapiro, counterparts from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and from the Joint Staff, and Yezidi civil society leaders also discussed ongoing challenges faced by the Yezidi communities in Iraq and Syria, including ongoing insecurity in Sinjar.
Between 2014 and 2017, ISIS displaced millions of Iraqis from their historic homelands, including the majority of Iraq's Yezidi population. In August 2014, the U.S. military played a key role in repelling ISIS assaults on displaced Yezidis stranded on Mount Sinjar and in delivering humanitarian relief. In the 10 years that followed, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, the military mission of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS with partners in Iraq and Syria, territorially defeated ISIS. The ISIS threat remains, and millions remain displaced in both countries, including 300,000 members of the Yezidi population. The United States Government has invested over $500 million specifically targeted toward the recovery of communities that were most affected by ISIS. This investment is on top of billions of dollars in assistance that was provided to help those who were most in need.
On the eve of the 10-year anniversary of the genocide, the Department joins its partners in the United States Government in honoring the survivors, remembering those who died, and underscoring our commitment to supporting the ongoing recovery of the communities that suffered under ISIS, delivering accountability to those responsible for this tragedy, and ensuring that ISIS will not resurge.
