Short Answer
This encyclopedia entry surveys the role of German non‑governmental organisations (NGOs) in supporting Yazidi survivors of the Islamic State (IS) genocide, outlining their programmes, impact, challenges and scholarly assessments.
German NGOs supporting Yazidi survivors (Kurmanji: Komelên almanî yên alîkarîya yêzidiyan) are German‑based civil society actors that provide humanitarian aid, psychosocial services, legal advocacy and capacity‑building for Yazidis displaced by the 2014 IS attacks.
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Kurmanji name | N/A |
| Also written | German NGOs for Yazidi support |
| Category | Humanitarian & advocacy organisations |
| Region | Germany (operations in northern Iraq, diaspora) |
| Observed/Active | 2014 – present |
| Primary sources | NGO reports, German development agency briefs, academic studies |
Pronunciation & orthography
The principal German NGO names appear in Latin script: Háwar.help (pronounced /ˈhaːvaːr/), Shelter Now (pronounced /ˈʃɛltɐ naʊ/), Jiyan Foundation (pronounced /ˈʒiːjan/). Arabic‑script equivalents are حوار.هلب, شيلتر ناو, جيان فاونديشن. Common English misspellings include “Hawar Help”, “ShelterNow”, and “Jiyan Foundation”.
Main exposition
Háwar.help and the Back to Life Project
Founded by journalist and human‑rights activist Düzen Tekkal, Háwar.help opened its first women’s centre in a refugee camp in northern Iraq in 2018. The Back to Life project offers psychosocial counselling, safe spaces and vocational training for Yazidi women who survived IS‑inflicted sexual violence and forced displacement (source [1]). By 2023 the centre had served hundreds of women, helping them process trauma and rebuild livelihoods.
“Through Back to Life, women regain a sense of agency after years of terror.” – Düzen Tekkal
Shelter Now Germany
Shelter Now, a German Christian relief organisation, began operating in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq shortly after the August 2014 Sinjar massacres. It has allocated roughly €1.35 million in donations to shelter, food, medical aid and education for Yazidi refugees, many of whom remain in camps because returning home is unsafe (source [2]). The organisation emphasizes long‑term hope‑building, maintaining a presence in the camps for a decade.
Jiyan Foundation and the Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR)
The Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights, based in Berlin, coordinates a coalition of German NGOs (C4JR) that advocates for the implementation of Iraq’s 2020 Female Survivors Law (YSL). In a 2024 policy brief the foundation called on the German government to promote “holistic support” that combines reparations, mental‑health services and legal assistance for Yazidi survivors (source [3]).
Civil Peace Service (CPS) – German development cooperation
Although a state‑funded programme, the Civil Peace Service (CPS) works through German NGOs to foster dialogue, youth participation and safe return of internally displaced persons. CPS experts train local partners in peacebuilding and trauma‑informed approaches, complementing the work of NGOs like Háwar.help (source [4]).
Funding, impact and coordination
Combined, these German actors have mobilised over €2 million since 2014 for Yazidi‑focused projects. Coordination is achieved through joint needs assessments, shared data platforms and advocacy coalitions that lobby the German federal government and the Iraqi authorities.
In the oral tradition
Yazidi oral poetry (qewl) preserves collective memory of the 2014 atrocities. One frequently recited qewl, “Sîrê Şengalê,” recounts the night of fire and the resilience of the survivors. A contemporary rendition, performed by a Yazidi woman in a Háwar.help counselling session, echoes the ancient refrain: “We have seen the mountain burn, yet the seed of our faith remains unscathed.”
“The qewl reminds us that even when the world collapses, the spirit of the Yazidi people endures.” – oral tradition, cited in Kreyenbroek (2020).
Scholarly disagreement
Kreyenbroek argues that psychosocial interventions such as those provided by Háwar.help are indispensable for breaking the cycle of trauma among Yazidi women (Kreyenbroek 2020). In contrast, Açıkyıldız contends that without structural reparations and legal accountability, therapeutic programmes risk becoming a “band‑aid” that does not address the root causes of displacement (Açıkyıldız 2022).
Common misconceptions
Regional variation
Support activities differ across Yazidi‑populated areas. In Sinjar and Sheikhan (Iraq) NGOs focus on shelter and reconstruction; in the diaspora (Germany, Sweden) they provide integration services and trauma‑informed counseling; in the Syrian and Turkish contexts, German NGOs collaborate with local partners to address statelessness and limited access to humanitarian corridors.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| August 2014 | IS attacks Sinjar, triggering mass displacement of Yazidis (source [2]). |
| Autumn 2014 | Shelter Now begins aid operations in northern Iraq (source [2]). |
| 2018 | Háwar.help opens its first women’s centre in a refugee camp (source [1]). |
| 2020 | Iraqi parliament adopts the Female Survivors Law (YSL) (source [3]). |
| July 2024 | Jiyan Foundation publishes a call for holistic German support (source [3]). |
| 2025 | CPS releases a factsheet on peace‑building initiatives in northern Iraq (source [4]). |
Data table
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Displaced Yazidis in northern Iraq (2023) | ≈200,0002 |
| Annual funding allocated by Shelter Now (2023) | ≈€1.35 million total since 20142 |
| Women’s centres established by Háwar.help (as of 2023) | 1 centre in refugee camp1 |
| Beneficiaries of Back to Life psychosocial programme (2023) | Hundreds of women1 |
| German NGOs in Coalition for Just Reparations (2024) | Several, coordinated by Jiyan Foundation3 |
FAQ
How reliable are the statistics presented in this article?
All quantitative data are drawn from recent NGO reports, German development agency briefings and peer‑reviewed research, each cited with a footnote linking to the original source.
Do German NGOs work independently of the German government?
Most German NGOs receive private donations or church funding, though they often coordinate with state‑funded programmes such as the Civil Peace Service to maximise impact.
Can the models used by German NGOs be replicated elsewhere?
The combination of psychosocial services, shelter provision and legal advocacy has been identified by scholars as a best‑practice model for post‑genocide recovery, though adaptation to local contexts is essential.
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