Within 12 hours, two young Ezidi women were found dead at two IDP camps in Duhok and Nineveh.
The two incidents took place yesterday (4 January), one at Isiyan Camp in Nineveh’s Shékhan district, the other at Shariya IDP settlement Duhok.
20-year-old Asmahan Khidir was found dead and hanging from a rope in her family’s tent at Isiyan Camp.
Elias Khidir, Ismahan’s brother, told KirkukNow: “My sisters separated from her husband a year ago. She was living with my parents at the camp; she had no issues.”
“Last night [3 January], she was with my parents until they slept and had no problems; they had eaten together. When they had woken up in the morning, she was dead and hanging from a rope. I had never even imagined that my sister would one day hang herself, because we had a quiet life without issues. I ask the security agencies to investigate the incident thoroughly.”
Asmahan didn’t have any children. She is from Siba Shékh Khidir settlement in south Shingal district. She, together with her family, were displaced in 2014 when ISIS launched an assault on Shingal.
“I asked my parents whether there was a reason for her suicide, but they are also shocked and can’t think of any reason,” Elias said.
I asked my parents whether there was a reason for her suicide, but they are also shocked
Sa’dulla Abdulla, the manager of Isiyan Camp, told KirkukNow: “We were informed about a self-hanging case at 8 in the morning. We went to the place of the incident and saw that she was dead and hanging from a rope. I know the family closely; they don’t have any problems. The incident has shocked us.”
Asmahan’s case is being investigated by local police in Shékhan. No conclusion has been announced yet.
Within less than 12 hours of Asmahan’s suicide, a 15-year-old Ezidi girl also hanged herself at Shariya Camp in Duhok.
Her name is Ahlam Khéro Khudayda. She is from Shingal’s Giruéz subdistrict and was displaced six years ago.
Jalal Khalaf, the mayor of Giruéz subdistrict, told KirkukNow: “What I have been told is that Ahlam hanged herself in her family’s tent.”
“I know that girl’s family very closely, but the reason behind the incident is still not clear. We wait for a report from the police in Duhok province. At the moment, we can’t speak about any reason behind the incident without a complete investigation.”
