There is an estimated 520,000 people in enslavement in the Arab States. Within the region, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen had both the highest prevalence of modern slavery and the highest absolute number of victims, accounting for 76 percent of the victims in the region. There is an estimated 174,000 people enslaved in Iraq (GSI 2018).
In August 2014, IS invaded the province of Sinjar in Iraqi Kurdistan. Mostly Yezidis, a traditional religious community with ancient customs live there. Over 6,000 Yezidis were abducted. In early 2016 Sinjar was liberated by Kurdish Peshmergas. Many young women used by IS as slaves returned to their region.
3 months and eight days.
Arabs arrested us at Sinone. Later we were handed over to IS. They took us to Syria. We always coexisted peacefully with Arabs. When IS came, they suddenly turned hostile.
Narrative and image taken from a film directed by Reber Dosky as part of The Atlantic Selects, a showcase of short documentaries curated by The Atlantic.
