Iraqi federal government decides to suspend the food supply for citizens who lack national ID cards and are not registered in the ration card system, while hundreds of Ezidis have lost their documents for several years.
Majority of the Ezidis, who were displaced or taken captives by the Islamic State group (IS), left their formal documents behind in their houses while fleeing their hometowns.
IS invaded Sinjar in August 2014 and abducted thousand and 471 Ezidis. The fate of three thousands Ezidi women and children are yet to known.
The Iraqi ministry of Trade requires stare documents for the renewal of the ration card, allowing families receive food aid.
Haji Hamid, who is a relative of many missing Ezidis, told KirkukNow, “the decision of the government is wrong because many people are either missing or lost their documents, thus their shares of the food aid should not be cut.”
“We waited for the rescue of our abductees, not the halt of their monthly food portions.”
The Ezidis had previously faced the same issue, but managed to solve it with the help of Sinjar authorities, where most of the missing Ezidis belong to.
Mahma Khalil, the Sinjar commissioner, based in Duhok for three years, said, “last year, the problem happened, but we fixed it. This is unacceptable, the Iraqi government should have an excuse for such a decision.”
He thinks that it is an ill-made decision “because how come you cut the monthly food aid of people who are missing.”
Despite the migration of 100 thousands Ezidis abroad, two thousand and 888 Ezidis abductees are still missing, according to figures of released by the Rescue Office at the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Hussein Qaidi, head of the office, claimed, “there is the decision to cut the monthly food supply of those who are either absent or lack ID cards, without the exemption of the Ezidis from the decision.”
He also explained that besides the missing people, there are Ezidis who are rescued but does not have national IDs, which have not been issued for them yet. Those will be the victims of the decision.”
Qaidi mentioned that they are in contact with central Baghdad to solve the issue.
