Hadi Maao
Thank you Madame Chair. Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished delegates, my name is Hadi Maao, as
a survivor of bombing and two genocides, I stand before you with a question that carries the pain of
my community. How much longer must the Yezidi pay the price, simply because we are Yazidis. More
than 10 years after the 2014 genocide, Yazidis still live in conditions unworthy of human dignity. We
are no longer only victims of terrorist groups, today, we face political failure, injustice, and lack of
responsibility. Iraq’s budget is in the billions, yet only a small fraction has reached Sinjar or the
thousands of Yezidi families still waiting for shelter. This gap shows how Yezidis continue to be treated
as second-class citizens. Families still live in tents and half-built homes. More than 75% of Yezidi
families who returned to Sinjar have received no compensation, even though the law exists. Many
neighborhoods remain piles of broken concrete. Children are growing up without proper schools,
homes, and safety. This feels like a continuation of what we survived, and it is why many Yezidis are
still fleeing to Europe for safety. Madame Chair, Yezidis have clear rights under international law: the
right to compensation, the right to truth, and the right to justice, yet none of these rights have been
meaningfully realized. Today, I ask this Forum and all member states to take a principled and urgent
stand. Stop the deportation of Yezidis from Europe. Sending survivors back to an unsafe,
unreconstructed region puts them at risk and violates the obligation to do no harm. We are not asking
for privilege, we are asking for protection, justice, and the dignity every human being deserves. Thank
you.