Years After ISIS, Many Yazidis Still Face Obstacles to Returning to Shingal
transcript
show notes
This episode was made with the help of AI.
For this episode of In Crisis Mode, Jan Jessen, Head of Politics at NRZ and war and crisis correspondent for the FUNKE Media Group, travels to northwestern Iraq.
He speaks with Yazidi returnees in the Shingal region who are involved in a greenhouse project in Sinune, as well as with Irfan Ortac, Chairman of the Central Council of Yazidis in Germany. The episode explores why, despite the military defeat of ISIS, many Yazidis have still not returned to their homeland, even in the presence of aid projects, reconstruction efforts, and isolated signs of hope.
Guests:
- Irfan Ortac, Chairman of the Central Council of Yazidis in Germany
- Participants in the greenhouse project: Badal Khalaf Kasem, Sabah Qaro, and a Yazidi farmer from Sinune
Chapter Overview
1 | Shingal After ISIS: Why Many Yazidis Have Not Returned
Jan Jessen opens the episode with the central question: Why have so many Yazidis still not returned to Shingal in northwestern Iraq, despite the end of the ISIS attack?
2 | Shingal, Iraq: Checkpoints, Control, and Insecurity
Jan describes his journey through the region, marked by numerous checkpoints and restricted movement in an area still shaped by insecurity.
3 | Everyday Life in Sinune and Gunde Ahsan
Small shops, new houses, and a school full of children reflect a fragile sense of normality—alongside fear, mistrust, and the lasting trauma of the 2014 Yazidi genocide.
4 | Returning to Shingal: Education, Work, and Greenhouse Projects
Jan highlights how local initiatives in Sinune and Gunde Ahsan are enabling limited returns through education, agriculture, and employment opportunities.
5 | A Yazidi Farmer from Sinune: Destroyed Homes and Missing Support
A returnee explains why he cannot go back to his home village, describing destroyed property, lack of assistance, and ongoing hardship for his family.
6 | Irfan Ortac on Shingal: Militias, Absence of State Authority, Lack of Security
The Chairman of the Central Council of Yazidis in Germany outlines why many Yazidis are still unable to return safely, citing the presence of armed groups and weak state structures.
7 | What Yazidis in Shingal Need Today: Security, Reconstruction, and Perspective
Jan concludes that return requires more than hope: it depends on security, functioning governance, reconstruction, and sustainable future prospects.
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