UN: Islamic State has committed genocide against Yazidis

United Nations inspectors have accused the group known as the 'Islamic State' of committing genocide against Yazidis in Iraq and Syria. Their report, published on Thursday, June 17, states that ISIS is intent on destroying the Yazidi ethnic and religious minority and has committed numerous crimes against them, including sexual slavery. Reuters reports that this report is based on interviews with dozens of Yazidi survivors who have stated that ISIS militants have systematically abducted Yazidis in Syria and Iraq for the past two years and are attempting to obliterate their identity. UN inspectors have referred to these actions by ISIS as 'genocide' and emphasized that 'this genocide is ongoing.' In this context, Paulo Pinheiro, the head of the UN Commission of Inquiry, stated, 'The crime of genocide must provoke much stronger political reactions, including being brought to the United Nations Security Council.' Additionally, Viti Montarborn, a member of the commission, mentioned that the commission has precise information about the perpetrators of these crimes, which has been shared with some relevant national authorities. Reuters also reports that four other members of the commission have urged global powers to take action to rescue at least 3,200 Yazidi women and children who are trapped by ISIS and to refer this case to the International Criminal Court. So far, several mass graves of Yazidis have been found in Iraq, for which ISIS is responsible. Meanwhile, over the past two years, numerous reports have emerged indicating that ISIS militants have enslaved Yazidi women and children and treated them as war spoils. Reports from Iraq also indicate that people in Fallujah are in dire conditions due to the war, with the Norwegian Refugee Council describing the situation in the city as a 'humanitarian disaster.' According to a statement from this human rights organization, thousands of people in this city have been besieged for months, facing famine and under fire from the war. The statement adds that there is absolutely no safe place left in Fallujah for the people to seek refuge, and there is no safe way to escape. Reports from international organizations indicate that at least 48,000 people in Fallujah are looking for a way to flee. Fallujah, located west of Baghdad, is one of the two major cities under ISIS control.