Hunger, prison, bombs: Children from Shingal, Tal Afar tell of life under ISIS
A group of 15 children freed and brought to safety by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) include four Shiites from Tal Afar and 11 Yezidis from Shingal.
They recount being separated from their families, detained, and moved around from place to place amid fighting and bombing.
“When we were in Tal Afar, when ISIS came, they arrested us and took us to a prison. Later, they took us in a car and separated us from our family and took us here,” recalled a young boy from Tal Afar.
He said they were moved from one place to another when the areas came under bombardment and ISIS lost territory.
The boys were dressed in new clothing, with their hair trimmed and cleaned – a big change from the day before when they were first welcomed by the Kurdish-led SDF.
Finally free of ISIS, the boys were happily eating food provided by the SDF.
“The situation was bad. It wasn’t good. We stayed on the streets. They give us just one meal. We were begging,” said one boy from Shingal.
“I am very hungry,” another boy mumbled through a mouthful of food.
ISIS abducted 6,417 Yezidis when they swept across northern Iraq, attacking Shingal in August 2014. So far, just over half – 3,371 – have been freed, according to figures from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The fate of the others remains unknown.
Thousands of Yezidis have been killed, many of them lying in the 71 known mass graves in the Shingal area.
At least 2,745 children have lost one or both of their parents.
Many of those returning to their families after years under ISIS rule have no memories of their family members and have forgotten their mother tongue.
