Cycle of displacement: Sinjar residents return to camps amid fears of conflict
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, the Directorate of Migration, Displacement, and Crisis Responsein Duhok, expressed growing concernover the increasing reversedisplacement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Sinjar to theprovince's camps, due to ongoing clashes between the Iraqi army and militantsfrom the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the region.
Dian Jaafar, the director of the directorate, told Shafaq News that theseperiodic clashes are forcing Yazidi families to flee once again for theirsafety.
"Last week, 16 Yazidi families returned to the Duhok camps, and todayanother four families have returned," Jaafar said.
He added that 2023 saw armed confrontationsbetween the Iraqi army and the fighters loyal to the PKK, resulting in thedisplacement of 10,740 families from Sinjar to Duhok.
Jaafar emphasized that the continuation ofthese clashes not only harms the residents of Sinjar but also disrupts theresettlement process, impacts security stability, and hinders efforts torebuild and provide essential services to the region's population.
Meanwhile, a local source told Shafaq Newsthat the Sinjar Protection Units (YBS) have given the Iraqi army and police 24hours to release five of their fighters who were detained by the police,threatening military action if their demand is not met.
This threat followed a gunfight that broke outin central Sinjar last night between YBS fighters and Iraqi forces, leavingfive federal police officers and three YBS fighters wounded before thesituation was brought under control.
