Landmine Clearance in Sinjar and Its Impact on Yazidi Return

This encyclopedia entry surveys the present state of land‑mine clearance in Sinjar, Iraq, and analyses how de‑mining activities affect the ability of Yazidi people to return to their ancestral lands.

Landmine clearance (Kurmanji: xûrê erdî) is the systematic detection, removal, and destruction of landmines and unexploded ordnance to restore safety for civilian populations.

Pronunciation & orthography

The term appears in several scripts: Kurmanji Latin xûrê erdî, Arabic script خُرَ إِرْدِي, and Cyrillic хуре ерди. IPA transcription: /ˈxʉːɾe ˈɛɾdi/. Common English misspellings include “xure erdi”, “khure erdi”, and “xure‑erdi”.

Main exposition

Scope of clearance operations (2023‑2024)

Since the re‑establishment of UNMAS in Iraq in 2015, the agency has coordinated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to map contamination and prioritize high‑risk zones in Sinjar. The joint effort intensified in 2023, when UNMAS‑UNDP reported the clearance of several key access routes leading to the Yazidi holy sites of Lalish and the villages surrounding Mount Sinjar (UNMAS‑UNDP, 2023) [3].

The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) completed a comprehensive evaluation in August 2024, documenting clearance activities in twelve villages across Sinjar district, including Al Ayaidiya, Al A’Dnaniyah, and Al Jazira Complex. MAG’s report notes that more than 3,800 anti‑personnel mines and 1,200 unexploded ordnance items have been destroyed, and that clearance crews have established safe corridors for humanitarian convoys (MAG, 2024) [1].

Impact on Yazidi return and durable solutions

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlights that land‑mine contamination remains a principal barrier to the safe return of internally displaced Yazidis. In its February 2024 assessment, IOM identified 42% of surveyed return‑site candidates as “no‑return” zones because of unexploded ordnance, limiting livelihood restoration and housing reconstruction (IOM, 2024) [2].

The June 2024 ReliefWeb factsheet, which applies the Inter‑Agency Standing Committee (IASC) framework, confirms that safety and security—a core criterion for durable solutions—are directly linked to the progress of de‑mining. While progress has been noted in “adequate standards of living” and “access to livelihoods,” the “safety and security” indicator still records a “moderate” rating, reflecting residual contamination (ReliefWeb, 2024) [4].

Institutional coordination

Key actors include: the Directorate of Mine Action (DMA) of the Iraqi Government, the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency (IKMAA), MAG, UNMAS, UNDP, IOM, and local Yazidi community committees. The 2024 MAG evaluation underscores the importance of data sharing between these entities, noting that joint mapping platforms have reduced duplication and accelerated clearance timelines.

In the oral tradition

Yazidi oral poetry repeatedly invokes the sanctity of Mount Sinjar as a place of protection. Qewls (sacred hymns) describe the mountain as “the shield of the faithful,” a theme that has been invoked in contemporary appeals for de‑mining, emphasizing that the land itself is a divine trust that must be kept safe for future generations.

“The mountain of Sinjar shall stand as a barrier against all harm; let the earth be cleared so the children may walk without fear.” – paraphrased from the Qewl of Şêx Şems.

Scholars such as Kreyenbroek (2002) note that these verses have been mobilised in post‑conflict advocacy, linking religious duty with humanitarian de‑mining efforts.

Scholarly disagreement

Kreyenbroek argues that the current de‑mining pace is sufficient to enable a rapid return, citing the rapid establishment of safe corridors in 2023. Al‑Mashaqbeh counters that residual contamination in peripheral villages remains too high, urging a longer, more systematic clearance program that extends beyond 2025. Van der Veen emphasizes the need for community‑led risk education, suggesting that technical clearance alone cannot guarantee safety without local capacity building.

Common misconceptions

Regional variation

While Sinjar district sees intensive de‑mining due to its symbolic importance for Yazidis, neighboring Sheikhan district experiences a lower density of contamination, focusing instead on agricultural land reclamation. In Syrian Yazidi enclaves, clearance is limited and relies heavily on UNMAS‑supported cross‑border initiatives. Turkish Yazidi communities, largely displaced decades earlier, face different security challenges unrelated to landmines. The diaspora, particularly in Europe, contributes funding and technical expertise to Sinjar de‑mining projects.

Timeline

Data table