Shingal: The Ongoing Struggle for Recovery
Ten years after the 2014 genocide, the ancestral homeland of the Yazidi people remains a region of deep instability. Our students live in the heart of these unresolved political and economic challenges.
Governance Vacuum
The stalled 2020 Sinjar Agreement between Baghdad and Erbil has left a leadership void. Without a unified administration, Yazidi inclusion in decision-making remains minimal, and reconstruction is paralyzed by political deadlock.
Fragile Stability
Fragmented control among various armed groups and cross-border airstrikes create a climate of fear. This instability prevents families from feeling safe enough to return home and forces young people to look for futures elsewhere.
Infrastructure Crisis
Estimated 70-80% of homes and infrastructure remain destroyed. Basic services like water, healthcare, and education are insufficient, while agriculture—the local lifeline—is devastated by drought and war damage.
Demographic Decline
While 100,000+ Yazidis have returned, many are involuntary due to camp closures. Uninhabitable conditions and lack of jobs are driving a new wave of emigration, threatening the long-term cultural continuity of the region.