The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Joint Crisis Coordination Center (JCC) on Tuesday, May 21 said that 80 internally displaced families from the Esyan internally displaced persons (IDP) camp had returned to Sinjar.

“Despite KRG support, only about 500 families have returned in 2024 through the Returns Working Group (RWG) due to unresolved displacement issues,” the JCC said in a post on X.

In cooperation with @IOMIraq, 80 families from Esyan IDP camp returned to Shingal today. Despite KRG-MOI's support, only about 500 families have returned in 2024 through RWG due to unresolved displacement issues. @StatePRM pic.twitter.com/6IkPsgq9Rk

— JCC_KRG (@JccKrg) May 20, 2024

The RWG, which is chaired by the International Organization for Migration and co-chaired by The International Rescue Committee, was established to support the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of IDPs.

Co-founder and President of Sinjar Academy Murad Ismael told Kurdistan Chronicle that he is “glad to see more families returning voluntarily to Sinjar. Still, Sinjar has one of the lowest rates of return compared to other areas of Iraq.” 

“This is due to a combination of factors, including security, administration, and economic issues, as well as a lack of jobs, infrastructure, and support for the region. This particular project (Returns Working Group) offers important assistance for families that makes return possible.”

More than 70 Yazidi families returned to Sinjar today through @IOMIraq program. We appreciate this great humanitarian support and mission to help families end 10 years of displacement. The project is funded by @StatePRM. @IraqiGovt & @Kurdistan authorities are facilitating and… pic.twitter.com/58QbT8irsq

— Murad Ismael (@murad_ismael) May 20, 2024

“We should not force returns by merely closing services and schools at IDPs camps, but we should support more of these voluntary programs and encourage their continuity,” he added.

However, Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned in a report on May 13 that Baghdad’s planned closure of IDP camps in the Kurdistan Region by a July 30 deadline will imperil the rights of many camp residents from the northern Sinjar district.

The KRG has also underlined that they would not force IDPs to return.

Sinjar remains unsafe and lacks adequate social services to ensure the economic, social, and cultural rights of thousands of displaced people who may soon be forced to return, the report stated. 

“Many people from Sinjar have been living in camps since 2014 and they deserve to be able to go home, but returns need to be safe and voluntary,” said Iraq Researcher Sarah Sanbar in the HRW report. “Given the lack of services, infrastructure, and safety in the district, the government risks making an already bad situation worse.”

In October 2020, Baghdad and Erbil signed the Sinjar Agreement with support of the UN in order to facilitate the return of displaced Yezidis. However, so far the agreement has not been implemented and militias continue to operate in Sinjar.

Read More: U.S. Encourages Baghdad to Address Militia Presence in Sinjar

The U.S. Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya during a visit to the Lalish Yezidi temple on May 10 called on Baghdad to “address concerns over the role of militias in areas liberated from ISIS such as Sinjar and the Nineveh Plain.”