The Yazidi Doctor Who Restored Life to 1,200 Survivors of IS Captivity

Shireen's story as a survivor

Shireen was studying for a high school examination at her home in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar on 3 August 2014 when Islamic State group militants broke into her house and kidnapped her from her family. At the age of 19 she was sold as a sex slave to an IS militant in the north-western city of Tal Afar. Three months later Shireen was sold once again to Abu Omar another IS fighter in Mosul to become his third wife.

He said I love you but when you love someone you do not rape her. It destroyed my life Shireen tells MEE. Abu Omar already had two Iraqi wives. Although Abu Omar's other wives lived in a separate house Shireen says that they used to beat her whenever they got together.

Shireen's story is just one from the thousands of stories recounted by Yazidi women who have experienced the raw cruelty of IS. Yazidis believe in Yasdan a god who emanates seven angels. The angel they revere above all others is Melek Tawwus or the Peacock Angel but Shireen was told by IS that Melek Tawwus was the devil and so was forced to convert to Islam.

For more than two years Shireen says she was not allowed to leave the house in Mosul. She was forced to cook wash the dishes and clean every day. There were two guards at the entrance of the house and I was not allowed to go outside or even to the garden to breathe fresh air she says. According to Shireen Abu Omar later brought two other Yazidi girls to the house. One was six years old and was forced to clean the house while the other was 10. She was raped frequently by Abu Omar.

In 2016 Shireen was released by Iraqi forces during the campaign to retake Mosul from IS. After more than two years of captivity Shireen suffered from depression and constant nightmares. Her uncle and many of her friends were killed by IS while her father and one of her sisters have been missing since 2014.

Dr Nagham Nawzat's background and work

Upon her release Shireen visited Dr Nagham Nawzat a Yazidi gynaecologist in the city of Duhok in Iraq's Kurdish region for a check-up. Nawzat not only gave her a physical examination she also listened to Shireen and offered her emotional support. Dr Nawzat helped all of us. Without her help I would not be here today the 23-year-old says.

Nawzat is highly respected among the Yazidi community. According to Hussein al-Qaidi the director of the Kidnapped Affairs department at the Kurdistan Regional Government in Duhok 2,023 Yazidi women have been liberated from IS territories as of July 2018. Nawzat 42 has provided life-saving support to more than half of them helping an estimated 1,200 Yazidi women.

In March 2016 Nawzat received the International Women of Courage Award from then-US Secretary of State John Kerry for providing psychological support to traumatised Yazidi survivors and for combating gender-based violence. Born in Mosul to a Yazidi family in 1976 her life-long dream was to study medicine. She graduated with a degree in gynaecology from Mosul's Medical College in 2002.

Nawzat's approach combines medical care with attentive listening that allows survivors to begin processing their experiences. Her presence in Duhok has created a trusted point of contact for women returning from captivity who often arrive with complex physical and emotional needs. The award from John Kerry highlighted her sustained efforts at a time when international attention on the Yazidi community was growing.

The Yazidi genocide context (UN recognition)

In 2014 IS seized almost a third of Iraq. At least 12,000 Yazidis were killed or kidnapped as part of what the United Nations describes as an ongoing genocide against the religious minority. The scale of the assault on Sinjar and surrounding areas left entire communities shattered with families separated and cultural sites targeted.

The United Nations characterisation of these events as genocide underscores the systematic intent behind the killings kidnappings and forced conversions. Yazidi survivors have described how IS militants sought to erase their religious identity by attacking core beliefs such as reverence for Melek Tawwus. This campaign extended beyond physical violence to include attempts to sever generational ties to Yazidi traditions.

Recovery from such targeted destruction requires sustained attention to both individual healing and collective memory. The figures of 12,000 killed or kidnapped and 2,023 women liberated by July 2018 illustrate the magnitude of loss and the slow pace of returns. Communities in the Kurdish region continue to absorb returning survivors while grappling with unresolved cases of missing relatives.

The Duhok Survivors' Centre

The following year Nawzat decided to join the Duhok Survivors' Centre where she volunteers to provide healthcare and psychological support for Iraqi women who survived IS. Funded by the United Nations Population Fund it is the only facility in Iraq that specialises in gender-based violence.

The centre offers a dedicated space where survivors can receive gynaecological care alongside counselling. Its focus on gender-based violence addresses the specific forms of harm experienced by women and girls held by IS. UNFPA support has enabled consistent operations in a region where specialised services remain limited.

Women arriving at the centre often carry immediate medical concerns as well as longer-term psychological effects from prolonged captivity. Nawzat's dual role as physician and listener has helped many begin to rebuild daily routines. The facility stands as a rare resource tailored to the needs of this population in the aftermath of widespread displacement.

The larger context of Yazidi recovery and justice

The liberation of 2,023 women by July 2018 marked an important milestone yet thousands of families still search for missing members. Shireen's account of lost relatives reflects a broader pattern of unresolved disappearances that continues to affect Yazidi communities across northern Iraq.

Justice efforts remain intertwined with the need for sustained medical and psychological services. The work of specialists such as Nawzat demonstrates how individual practitioners can contribute to recovery when formal mechanisms move slowly. Her recognition by John Kerry in 2016 drew attention to the importance of gender-based violence support within wider accountability discussions.

Rebuilding lives after captivity involves restoring access to education employment and community ties. Survivors like Shireen who credit Nawzat with their continued presence highlight the human impact of consistent care. The Duhok Survivors' Centre funded by UNFPA provides one model for addressing both immediate and enduring consequences of the violence.

Local authorities including the Kurdistan Regional Government's Kidnapped Affairs department track liberation numbers and coordinate with health providers. These efforts occur against a backdrop of ongoing displacement and the challenge of returning to areas once controlled by IS. The estimated 1,200 women assisted by Nawzat represent a significant portion of those who have received targeted support in Duhok.

Continued attention to the experiences of Yazidi women remains essential for any meaningful process of recovery. The combination of medical expertise and attentive listening offered at facilities like the Duhok centre addresses needs that extend beyond physical wounds. As more survivors come forward the demand for such specialised services is likely to persist.