The Commission said that survivors and victims of the Yazidi genocide and the crimes of ISIL, as well as women and children detained solely because of their alleged ties to ISIL, must be immediately released from unlawful detention in northeast Syria and, where possible, repatriated and supported to rebuild their lives.
“Captive Yazidi women, girls and boys, survivors and victims of the Yazidi genocide and other ISIL crimes, continue to be held alongside their persecutors in these inhumane conditions in camps in northeast Syria today,” said Commissioner Lynn Welchman. “The international community should be supporting their recovery, well-being and their pursuit of justice, not perpetuating the atrocities they survived.”
‘Detained indefinitely’
Today, some 44,000 women and children remain in those detention camps in northeastern Syria, including some 27,000 children. Two-thirds of them are foreigners, from Iraq and more than 60 other countries. They cannot leave and are being “detained indefinitely”, the Commission said.
The Commission had documented how ISIL committed genocide starting on August 3, 2014, when the terrorist group launched a devastating attack on the Yazidi people of Sinjar in northwestern Iraq, close to the border with Syria, along with multiple crimes against humanity and war crimes through mass executions, forced conversions to Islam, slavery, and widespread sexual violence against women and girls.
Following the fall of Baghouz in March 2019, when ISIL lost its territorial control over Syria, tens of thousands of people, believed to be relatives of ISIL fighters, including many enslaved Yazidi women and girls, were held in internment camps, including Al Hawl and Rawj in north-eastern Syria, the Commission said.
“Yazidis must be given meaningful choices regarding return to Iraq, reunification with family members or settlement in third countries with their children,” said Commissioner Hanny Megally. “Member states must facilitate these possibilities.”
South Sudan: Kidnappings on the rise in Central Equatoria state
The UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISSABLE) expressed serious concerns on Friday about an increase in kidnappings in the Greater Yei region of Central Equatoria State.
Kidnappings are said to be taking place by the National Salvation Front (NAS) and other armed elements. The kidnappings are mainly taking place in three provinces: Yei River, Morobo and Lainya.
Last month, UNMISS received reports of about 12 cases, involving 134 people, including six children.
The mission warned that abducting children exposes them to multiple risks, including possible recruitment and use in armed conflict, as well as sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, called for the immediate and unconditional release of all children and adults held captive.
He urged the government to immediately investigate and remind the parties involved of their human rights obligations.
“We also call for collective action by all stakeholders, including the government, to strengthen measures to prevent repeated abductions and bring perpetrators to justice promptly,” he added.
Global food price index largely unchanged in July
Global food commodity benchmarks were largely unchanged in July, with gains in vegetable oils, meat and sugar offsetting declines in grains, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said (Food and Drug Administration) said on Friday.
This was the second consecutive month of stable prices, the UN agency said Food price index averaged 120.8 points in July, slightly lower than the revised figure of 121.0 for June.
The figure was 3.1 percent lower than the corresponding values in July last year.
The Food Price Index tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a number of globally traded food products.
Grains down, oils up
The FAO Cereal Price Index fell 3.8 percent from June as global export prices for major grains fell for the second straight month. Wheat prices fell on increased availability of winter crops and favorable conditions in Canada and the United States. Corn prices also fell as harvests continued in Argentina and Brazil and strong crop conditions in the United States.
Conversely, the Vegetable Oil Price Index rose 2.4 percent, driven by high demand for soybean oil in the biofuel sector and poor harvest prospects for sunflower and rapeseed oil. Similarly, the Meat Price Index rose 1.2 percent due to strong import demand for various meats, despite a slight decline in pork prices.
The sugar price index also rose 0.7 percent, reflecting lower than expected production in Brazil.
