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Armenian National Platform of European Union Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum is gravely concerned about the critical situation of Yazidi population and other religious minorities in Shangal Region of northern Iraq.

The population of the region is essentially on the verge of a humanitarian disaster. The terrorist organization proclaiming itself as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has turned to mass deportation and extermination of the Yazidi population. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, predominantly religious minorities have left their residence in the south of Shangal Region. And about 70 000 went up Mount Sinjar, were they now suffer from lack of water and food. Hundreds, among them women and children, have already died. It turned out recently that Islamist militants abducted 500 Yazidi women and took them in an unknown direction.

This situation is fraught with risks of expansion and deterioration and is a most serious threat to the entire region, including South Caucasus.

We express our solidarity with the peaceful population in northern Iraq and cannot simply watch what the terrorists are doing to them. We call upon political and civic organizations of Armenia to raise their voice against the genocide of the religious minorities of northern Iraq.

The Republic of Armenia, which has thousands of Yazidi citizens, obliged to express a clear official position regarding the terrorist activities mentioned.

We expect the European Union, EU Member States, and EU Eastern Partnership Countries, to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the population of northern Iraq using all possible means. We also call upon the UN to initiate appropriate peacekeeping operation in the Shangal Region to ensure unobstructed provision of humanitarian assistance and to rescue the local population from a humanitarian disaster.

Armenian National Platform of European

Union Eastern Partnership

Civil Society Forum

August 11, 2014, Yerevan