The Iraqi government will grant the families of Yazidis killed by the terrorist group (ISIL) a support grant of 10 million dinars ($8,320) upon their return to Shangal. This was reported to state media by a representative of the martyrs ' support service.

The announcement of the grant came from Tariq al-Mandalawi, head of the Department of victims of terrorism and military operations of the government's martyrs Fund, to the Iraqi state-run al-Sabah newspaper on Sunday. "The Ministry will allocate an amount of 10 million dinars to the Yazidi affected families after they complete their preparations at government offices for their return," Mandalawi said.

Mandalawi said his Department believes the number of Yazidis killed or still missing since 2014 is more than 7,000. According to data released on Wednesday by the Kurdistan Regional government's (KRG) office for the rescue of abducted Yazidis, 6,417 members of the Yazidi community were abducted by is; 2,880 people remain missing.

Most of Shangal still lies in ruins, although five years have passed since its liberation. Several security forces and Yazidi militias are fighting for control of Shangal.

Nineveh Governor Najm al-Jaburi told Iraqi state TV on Wednesday that " thousands of Yazidi families have already returned to Shangal, and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kazimi and military officials have agreed in the past few days to facilitate the return of displaced Yazidis," most of whom live in camps or homes in Duhok province.

The return of Yazidis to their homeland was discussed at a meeting on Monday between Iraqi President Barham Salih and Minister for displacement and migration Fayak.

According to a Ministry statement, the two officials reviewed the work led by Fayak to "encourage displaced people to return" and "restore liberated areas."

Salih "reiterated his support" for ending displacement and ensuring a "safe and stable life" for Yazidis and other displaced people, the statement said.

Mandalawi said his Department recently opened an office in the city of Sheikhan in Nineveh province that "will provide compensation to them [Yazidi families] as part of the process of returning families to their hometown."

The Iraqi government has also opened an office in Shangal to help the returnees, the Yazidi non-profit organization Yazda said in a statement.

"We appreciate the government's efforts to stabilize Sinjar (Shangal) and hope that the government will speed up the process of returning internally displaced persons to their homes, as well as pay compensation to survivors and victims of the genocide," the organization said in a statement in response to the opening of the office.

The President of France Emmanuel Macron confirmed the international support for the Yazidis during their visit to Baghdad last week. "We will do everything we can to help you, especially in Shangal, by helping the Yazidis," Macron said during a joint news conference with Kazimi.

Source INA