AID FOR YAZIDI SURVIVORS

Since 2016, Yahad – In Unum, through its Back to Life initiative, has been supporting Yazidi survivors of the genocide perpetrated by ISIS. In Iraq, more than 485 survivors have been interviewed, making it possible to reconstruct in detail the history of the Yazidi genocide that began on August 3, 2014. In 2025, Father Patrick Desbois, founder and president of Yahad – In Unum and the Back to Life program, together with the field teams, recorded the testimonies of the last refugees arriving from Syria, many of whom have settled in the Sinjar region and are largely from the Yazidi community. However, Yahad – In Unum’s teams quickly recognized that documentation alone could not address the realities faced by survivors. The vast majority—women and children—had lived for years in displacement camps, with no structured psychological support, limited access to education, and no viable long-term economic prospects. It was in this context that the Back to Life initiative was created: a holistic reconstruction program aimed at restoring the psychological, social, and economic balance of a community deeply scarred by genocide.