SEED Calls on Government of Iraq to Honor Its Commitment to Survivors in Budget Vote

Erbil, Iraq – June 7, 2023: As the Iraqi Council of Representatives prepares to convene for tomorrow’s vote on the budget bill, SEED Foundation urges legislators to honor the promises made to survivors of the ISIS conflict by ensuring that funding for the reparations program envisaged under the Yezidi Survivors’ Law (YSL) is included in the 2023-2025 federal budget.

In the two years since the Yezidi Survivors’ Law was passed, the financial resources required to establish the General Directorate of Survivors’ Affairs and deliver benefits to survivors have been allocated on an emergency basis. Funds provided to date have also fallen short of estimates, and are not sufficient to sustain long-term reparation measures like monthly salaries for survivors, which have no definitive time horizon. This calls into question the viability of the reparations program and highlights the need to establish a dedicated, sustainable source of long-term funding to support this effort.

We urge the Government of Iraq and Council of Representatives to ensure that adequate funding for the Yezidi Survivors’ Law is included in the 2023-2025 budget bill and that this provision remains in the law when passed. The amount allocated should be sufficient to cover the costs of administering the reparations program and guarantee the availability of promised benefits and services to survivors. Funding the Yezidi Survivors’ Law is a key investment in the stability, security, and social cohesion of our country, and a symbolic demonstration of the vision and leadership required to provide for the continued recovery of conflict-affected citizens.

SEED Foundation is a local NGO in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, committed to protecting, empowering, and supporting the recovery of survivors of violence and others at risk. Our approach to this mission is integrative and holistic. We provide quality and comprehensive services, including mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), legal, protection, and shelter services; training, capacity building, and education for those working to protect and serve survivors; and policy and advocacy to strengthen laws, policies, practices and protections for vulnerable people, and to promote social change.

For more information, please contact: media@seedkurdistan.org