Yazda statement for the 10th commemoration of the attacks on Kocho village in Sinjar
Iraq, 15 August 2024
Today, we pay tribute to and remember the village of Kocho, situated on the southern slopes of Sinjar Mountain. Once a vibrant community, Kocho became a symbol of unimaginable suffering following the atrocities committed by ISIL from August 2014. Like the rest of Sinjar, this village endured mass executions, severe violence, and relentless persecution, leaving deep scars on its people.
On August 3rd, 2014, as ISIL swiftly overtook other Yazidi villages in Sinjar, the siege of Kocho began. For 12 harrowing days, the residents of Kocho endured isolation and terror under the watchful yet inactive eyes of the Iraqi government, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the international community. On August 15th, 2014, ISIL gathered all the inhabitants in the village school, where they separated men and young male adolescents from women and children. The men and boys were brutally executed and buried in 17 mass graves throughout the village. The women and children were taken captive, subjected to torture, forced conversions, sexual violence, and enslavement. Additionally, a group of elderly Yazidi women from Kocho was executed in Solagh village. In 2023, the Yazidi Genocide Memorial was erected near their former mass grave to honor the memory of these women and all the victims and survivors of the genocide.
The attacks on Kocho were not merely an assault on a community but an assault on humanity itself. As we commemorate this tragic chapter, we remember the lives lost and the families torn apart. We honor the resilience and bravery of the people from Kocho and stand in solidarity with their efforts to recover and rebuild. Survivors from Kocho, both women and men, have been at the forefront of advocacy efforts, significantly advancing the Yazidi cause both nationally and internationally.
Yazda’s commitment goes beyond remembrance. We remain steadfast in our resolve to support the Yazidi community’s ongoing efforts for justice, recovery, and rebuilding. We acknowledge the deep scars left by these atrocities and pledge to advocate tirelessly for the protection of human rights and the prevention of future genocides. In honoring Kocho, we also recognize the broader need for solidarity and action to address the needs of displaced communities and to ensure that such horrors are never repeated.
For Arabic version of the press release please click here.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Farhad Ali, Media and Communication Officer
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About Yazda:
Yazda is a global community-led organization providing critical humanitarian assistance and promoting accountability and justice for the atrocities committed by the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as ISIS, IS or by its Arabic acronym Da’esh, against the Yazidi community and other groups in Iraq.
Yazda was established in 2014, three weeks after the genocidal campaign commenced in Sinjar, northern Iraq, and was among the first organizations on the ground providing lifesaving assistance to survivors. Yazda was the first actor to document Yazidi survivor accounts of crimes committed by ISIL.
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