The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has announced a series of measures aimed at supporting students who survived the attacks and crimes of ISIS. This initiative, driven by a decision from Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, seeks to facilitate the return of these students to the education system.

On Thursday, Alan Hama Saeed, the Kurdistan Region’s Minister of Education, held a press conference alongside three Kurdish survivors of ISIS crimes to outline the details of this new policy.

Minister Saeed explained that, in line with Prime Minister Barzani's decision, the Ministry of Education will provide comprehensive support to the survivors. The ministerial decree includes the following provisions:

Supervision and Committees: Special committees will be established under the supervision of the General Directorate of the provinces and independent administrations, particularly in areas like Duhok province and the Zakho independent administration, where many survivors reside.

Age Requirement Waivers: Directors General of the provinces and independent administrations will have the authority to waive age requirements for returning survivors to the education system.

Higher Education Opportunities: Survivors who completed the 9th grade but were later captured by ISIS and have since been released will be exempt from certain educational requirements and age restrictions. They will be allowed to choose any governmental college to pursue their studies.

Free Private Education: Survivors registered on the official list who have graduated from the 9th grade will be entitled to study in all private institutions free of charge for five academic years.

These measures will take effect for the 2024-2025 school year, starting on July 18, 2024.

Minister Alan Hama Saeed emphasized the significance of this initiative, stating, "Whatever we can do for the survivors of ISIS is not enough, but this decision of the prime minister is very important because it relates to the subject of education."

Background on the 2014 ISIS Attack on Sinjar

This decision responds to the tragic events of August 3, 2014, when ISIS attacked Sinjar. Thousands of Yazidis fled to Mount Sinjar to escape the violence. Many stayed on the mountain for years, while others sought refuge in Syria before returning through the Fishkhabour-Semalka border gate and were housed in IDP camps within the Kurdistan Region. Some also migrated abroad.

The attack resulted in over 5,000 Yazidi Kurds being killed, with approximately 2,745 children left orphaned. More than 325,000 Yazidis were displaced, and according to the latest statistics from the Kurdistan Region’s Kidnapped Yazidi Rescue Office, over 135,860 Yazidi Kurds were displaced from the Kurdistan Region, 189,337 from separatist areas of South Kurdistan, and more than 100,000 migrated internationally.

The KRG's new educational support measures mark a crucial step in addressing the needs of these survivors, providing them with opportunities to rebuild their lives and continue their education.