During these nine years there haven’t been any changes of rebuilding or finding the missing ones. Yezidis are still in refugee camps, suffering from the heat in summer and the cold in the winter, they are refugees in their own country.
Mr Silo told SBS Kurdish he hasn’t heard anything about his missing wife, three sons and other immediate family members since 2015.
“I don’t know anything about my family, nor have I heard anything about them since 2015”.
The village of Kocho, was trapped for 12 days unable to flee anywhere. The entire male population of up to 400 men, were rounded up and executed, and up to 1,000 women and children were abducted.
“No one came to our rescue, if the Iraqi government or the allies planes came to the village’s rescue, we could have all still been living there and not become refugees, but they didn’t.”
According to Mr Silo the Iraqi government is not assisting with finding the missing Yezidis nor in rebuilding Sinjar and its surrounding villages.
“My wife and three sons are still missing the government has not assisted in finding them, and I am not the only one, there thousands of Yezidis in the same situation.
The only time I got help, it was from the Iraqi ambassador in Turkey, who assisted me in returning one of my two daughters in Turkey.”
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has opened an office in Duhok called Kidnapped Yazidi Rescue Office.
“Yezidi families who pay to save their loved ones are compensated by the KRG with the same amount they paid.
As for the Australian government, we thank the government for resettling Yezidi refugees here, but we appeal to the government for those who have been interviewed to be granted visas as soon as possible.”
