YEREVAN. – Adl Beshari, 14, a resident of Shangal (Sinjar) province in northern Iraq, who is a Yezidi and who, together with his family, miraculously escaped the crimes committed by the Islamic State, arrived from Erbil, in northern Iraq, to Armenia, with his parents and brother.

But Adl’s three sisters and two brothers are still in Erbil; they could not come along due to documentation problems.

Adl said he lived a good life in Shangal with his family, until the Islamic State arrived in their town. He had witnessed how these Islamists were killing his fellow Yezidis, and without showing mercy.

“If we can work out our lives in Armenia, we’ll stay here,” said Adl. “But I want that one day the situation stabilizes in Shangal, and I return to my homeland, my home.”

Three Yezidi families on Thursday relocated to Armenia. They will live in a house in Araks village in Vagharshapat—commonly known as Etchmiadzin—city, until it becomes possible to allocate a separate home to each family.  

The Yezidi community of Armenia has organized a fundraiser to help these families, and some have also provided food.