On August 1, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani welcomed the designation of August 3 as a day of commemoration for the victims of the Yezidi Genocide by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani.

The decision comes prior to the 10th anniversary of the Yezidi Genocide committed by ISIS in August 2014.

The genocide resulted in the deaths of thousands of people, with many more being displaced to camps in the Kurdistan Region. 

Almost 10 years later, thousands of Yezidi women and girls are still missing.

“According to the decision of the Iraqi Prime Minister, at 10:00 am on that day every year, government offices, public places, markets, and streets will observe a moment of silence to honor the lives of the victims. We in the Kurdistan Region also respect and recognize this decision as important and necessary,” KRG spokesperson Hawramani said in a post on X.

The KRG designed August 3 as the annual day of remembrance of the Yezidi Genocide in 2019.