Zehra Doğan – JINHA

DÊRIK - Images of the hopeless suffering of the people of Shengal made international news in August, when Daesh launched its attack on the Êzîdî city in Northern Iraq. Seven months later, the story of the captured Êzîdî women's experience, from their suffering to their resistance, is less widely told. This series explores the experiences and struggles of Êzîdî women living in the Iraqi city of Duhok; Dêrik, in Rojava; and in Shengal itself.

For the 500 women who have so far managed to escape from Daesh captivity, the massacre continues today. Some commit suicide in order not to bear their rapists' children. Others have been killed by their families in so-called "honor killings." Psychological problems are severe and widespread.

After our interviews with the women in Duhok, we travel to the city of Dêrik, in Rojava. In the wake of the August 3 Daesh attacks on Shengal, the YPG/YPJ opened an emergency corridor leading across the border to Dêrik, in the easternmost Rojava canton of Cizîre. Now, more than 10,000 Êzîdîs live in the Newroz camp.

The camp, which suffers from a serious lack of doctors, is full of sick children. Women staff from the canton government are engaged in daily solidarity efforts with Êzîdî women, but there has been no rehabilitation program for the women.

We make our way among the children building small houses in the mud to meet with a group of women. None of them want to speak with us about their experiences.

"What happened to us, happened," says Nadia Ali. "Now it's time to make it better. We need help. We want to go home."Two other women, Bihar and Besê, repeat that they are tired of repeating the story of their tragic experiences. All they want, they say, is to forget the tragedy, but no one is helping.

Pelda, one of the camp administrators, sits down with us to share a report they've prepared on the women in the camp.

20 women who reached the camp recently had beensold in cities as far away as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Deir ez-Zor, Syrian cities and Mosul since August. She says most of the women who have escaped are very young.Pelda relates some of the women and girls who have arrived recently.

Just two days ago, eight girls between the ages of 16 and 18 reached the camp.

"They were in very bad condition. They didn't want to stay hereortalk to anyone. They wanted to leave, because they were sold in Syria, in an area very close to here," she says. "So we didn't want to stop them.

"The children stayed with us for a while. They were repeatedly sold and raped. They cry every day for the two friends of theirs who couldn't make it out," says Pelda. "They were raped by a number of people at the same time. Because they ran away barefoot, their feet are still cut and bruised. After they stayed here a while, they got a bit better and they wanted to leave. They wanted to find their families."

After them, two more girls reached the camp, 13 and 14 years old. Rape had damaged their ability to walk. They cried constantly, repeating that there were thousands of women still in Daesh's hands.

"The 14-year-old girl was saying 'bismillah' every other second. Her mental stability was gone. Daesh would beat anyone who didn't say 'bismillah' nearly to death," says Pelda. "She was really scared. She was constantly looking over her shoulder."

Pelda says she is concerned by the reports that those who do reach their families are frequently subject to so-called "honor killings." She says camp administrationmet with religious leaders to prevent the killings. "We said each of these women was a hero for the Êzîdî people. Now they're holding meetings with residents and explaining the sacred status of women.

"We've seen good results from the meetings. Now we're not getting reports of suicide anymore. The women who have been raped are experiencing some changes. They're able to have conversations with people and they're speaking more confidently."

She says some of the religious leaders, however, have been saying that the women are sacred and that those who marry them are blessed.

"So these women are being married before they've gotten over this shock, a lot of them at a very young age.So now there have been new suicides starting up."

Pelda says that recent reports give them cause to believe that Daesh has formed plans to use women in suicide bombings. According to recently escaped women, Daesh has been identifying women who know how to drive and keeping them in separate areas. They have been giving driving lessons to others.

"This is a disaster," says Pelda. She said the world needed to take immediate action to get the thousands of women out of Daesh hands.

(fk/cm)