Even ten years after the horrific crimes committed against the Yazidi community by the so‑called Islamic State, Germany must remain strongly engaged with a view to protecting and supporting this ethnic and religious minority. My most recent trip to central and northern Iraq confirmed my impression that the living conditions for Yazidis remain precarious.

Many of the thousands of people who fled the massacres perpetrated by the so-called Islamic State have been living in official and informal camps in Iraq for years, under harsh conditions. The government of Iraq is seeking to close these camps for internally displaced persons soon. This is understandable from a human rights perspective, as life in refugee camps should never become a permanent situation. Yet premature closure of the official camps threatens to create an additional humanitarian emergency for those affected. Currently, it is hardly possible for Yazidis to return safely to Sinjar, their native region, due to the security situation and the lack of vital infrastructure – specifically, housing, healthcare, electricity and water. Should the camps be closed prematurely, the situation of those affected would presumably become even more precarious in informal settlements.

The central government of Iraq must therefore step up its engagement, assert its monopoly on the use of force and establish functioning infrastructure in Sinjar. Moreover, real political progress is urgently needed with a view to implementing the Sinjar Agreement, and the Yazidi community must be more strongly integrated into these efforts. Another essential aspect is determining how the crimes committed by the so-called Islamic State will be prosecuted once UNITAD has completed its mandate. Germany remains a close partner, both for Iraq’s central government and for the Kurdistan regional government in Erbil, when it comes to tackling all of these challenges, including the rebuilding of and support for the Yazidi community and other minorities.

The fact that the German Bundestag in early 2023 officially recognised the immeasurable suffering inflicted on the Yazidi community as a genocide sent an important signal. But we do not consider this chapter to be closed. Today, the challenge facing the Yazidis is not mere survival, but being able to live a life in dignity and safety. The central government of Iraq must do everything in its power to achieve this aim, in cooperation with the international community.