Who are the Yazidis?

A number of Yazidi families who escaped the ongoing war in Iraq and Syria have now settled in Australia.

Displaced Yazidis walk towards the Syrian border Source: Reuters/Rodi Said

 

When the self-proclaimed Islamic State invaded the town of Sinjar in northern Iraq in 2014, the Yazidis were forced to leave their homeland and seek refuge within the region or overseas.

But who are the Yazidis, and why are they in such dire need of protection?