Good morning, Mr. Chair and honourable members of this committee.
I have been asked to provide an update on Canada's engagement in Iraq and to outline the current situation in the country. I hope this will provide some useful context for today's discussion on the Yazidi resettlement program.
Last year, my predecessor briefed you on the expansion of our diplomatic presence in Iraq. The expansion has allowed Canada to deepen its relations with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government. Our diplomatic staff has regular access to a wide range of interlocutors within the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government. We also have regular interactions with local officials such as governors and mayors, the United Nations, as well as community representatives and civil society organizations.
The majority of Iraqi Yazidis live in the northern region of Iraq, in Nineveh province and parts of the Kurdistan region. The two largest communities are in Sheikhan, northeast of Mosul, and in Sinjar, which is near the Syrian border, 80 kilometres west of Mosul. Both of these are in Nineveh province.
Following the siege of Sinjar by Daesh in 2014, many Yazidis fled their communities. They ended up in camps for internally displaced persons, or IDPs, in host communities within Iraq, mainly in Dohuk, Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah provinces, or as refugees in other countries like Turkey and Greece. Our increased presence in Erbil has enabled us to engage regularly with different representatives from the Yazidi community and maintain discussions with local authorities and the United Nations. The office of the Canadian embassy in Erbil has also provided assistance to IRCC's selection teams who travelled to Iraq to complete the necessary screening of resettlement applicants.
The Iraqi security forces and Kurdish forces have made significant progress over the past year against Daesh, notably by liberating Mosul and Hawija. The situation across Iraq continues to be fluid however. Security in parts of the country, including in the Kurdistan region, remains volatile.
Global Affairs Canada has recommended that Canadians avoid travel to the country and we are monitoring the situation to ensure the safety and security of our staff. Iraq will be heading into parliamentary elections in May of 2018. There may be tensions in the lead-up to those elections.
On September 25, the Kurdistan Regional Government held a referendum on independence, despite a ruling by the supreme court of Iraq declaring the referendum unconstitutional. The Government of Iraq responded by deploying Iraqi security forces to take control of several disputed territories near the borders of the Kurdistan region, including Kirkuk, Sinjar, and areas surrounding Mosul. It also cancelled all international flights into the Kurdistan region and took over some border crossings previously controlled by Kurdish authorities.
Flight restrictions have made travel in and out of the Kurdistan region more difficult for international visitors, and it is not yet clear when the restrictions will be lifted. The Iraqi security forces took over control of these regions without major incident, though a few minor clashes did occur, particularly around Kirkuk. The composition of the Kurdistan government remains uncertain, as do next steps in the ongoing political standoff with Baghdad.
Heading into the national elections in 2018, the fundamental differences over constitutional rights and wealth sharing remain unresolved.
In the fight against Daesh, the Iraqi security forces with the assistance of the Global Coalition against Daesh continue to liberate Daesh's remaining pockets of territory in western Iraq. Daesh's control has been dramatically reduced, and it now holds less than 10% of the country. Iraqi and international efforts are now increasingly focusing on stabilizing liberated areas and creating an enabling environment for reconciliation. The conflict has created millions of internally displaced persons with estimates of approximately 400,000 Yazidis living in IDP camps or in host communities. The conflict has also left entire cities and villages in complete ruin. The Global Coalition has placed immediate priority on clearing these areas of unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices, and reinstating basic services such as water, electricity, and education, where possible.
Canada is supporting these efforts, but it will take time and many Iraqis will require continued humanitarian assistance for the foreseeable future.
Canada's humanitarian assistance is provided on the basis of vulnerability and needs. Given that the Yazidis are a particularly vulnerable group that has been disproportionately affected by Daesh's campaign of violence, they are part of the population supported through our humanitarian assistance. For example, our UN partners are providing comprehensive services in the camps and host communities where the Yazidis have sought refuge. This includes food, water, access to education, medical care and shelter to displaced Yazidis.
In particular, with Canadian support, the United Nations Population Fund has established a women's centre at the Dohuk hospital, which provides clinical and non-clinical treatment for the most extreme cases of sexual and gender-based violence. Between September 2014 and October 2016, a total of 824 survivors received assistance at this centre, including Yazidi women and girls who have suffered atrocities under Daesh. The centre continues to function today.
In addition, our funding to NGO partners over the past few years has enabled the provision of health care services at IDP camps and in communities where many Yazidis are located. Through multi-year programming under Canada's Middle East strategy, we are providing over $150 million in humanitarian assistance to Iraq to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, including the Yazidis.
The conflict with Daesh has also exacerbated inter-sectarian divisions and created an environment of distrust amongst communities. Many, including minority groups, fear discrimination or reprisal if they return to their homes. Canada is assisting in stabilization and reconciliation efforts in hopes of creating an enabling environment that will allow internally displaced persons to return home safely. This includes funding the clearance of unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices and supporting community-level dispute resolution and reconciliation initiatives. To this end, Canada is supporting anti-retribution campaigns, supporting community action groups focused on addressing potential local conflict, and supporting institutions addressing property and land disputes in northern Iraq. Ultimately, our stabilization efforts are addressing some of the very challenges that enable Daesh to divide communities in northern Iraq, including traditional Yazidi areas.
The Yazidis have suffered horrendous atrocities at the hands of Daesh. The United Nations' Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic has found that these acts of violence constitute genocide. Members of the Yazidi community have told us that they do not feel safe and that they continue to fear Daesh sleeper cells and other forms of religious extremism.
Canada's resettlement program is assisting the most vulnerable of the community, women and children, who have survived inhumane abuses against them, but Canada is also assisting the Yazidis and other vulnerable minorities who remain in Iraq. By providing humanitarian assistance and supporting stabilization efforts, we hope the Yazidis can eventually return to their homes and continue practising their culture and religion in freedom.
Thank you again for the invitation to appear before you today.