Federal government announcement of Yazidi resettlement welcomed; but leading human rights and refugee support organizations left with more questions than answers

TORONTO – A group of non-governmental organizations, private refugee sponsors, Yazidi-Canadians, and concerned Canadians from across the country are announcing the launch of the Canada-Yazidi Action Coalition (CYAC) with a 5-point call to action for the Canadian government.

“Thousands of Yazidis are displaced and more must be done to help these victims of genocide,” said Hadji Hesso, spokesperson for the Canada-Yazidi Action Coalition. “While the coalition welcomes the news of future government action, the community is being left in the dark on details, underscoring the urgent need for a strong voice for our threatened community.”

Minister Hussen’s February 21 announcement of the Government’s response to the House of Commons unanimously adopted motion left Coalition members with more questions than answers. In the coming weeks and months, the coalition will continue to advocate for the plight of the Yazidis and will not stop until Canada has taken a number of steps to fulfill the moral obligation to respond to the Yazidi genocide.

Canadians interested in learning more can visit ofwi.org/cyac and are asked to sign the petition at: https://www.change.org/p/government-of-canada-must-support-yazidi-genocide-victims