Student enrollment in Sinjar rises as displaced families return home

SINJAR — The number of students in Sinjar District has risen this academic year, with 78 schools now open, largely due to the return of displaced residents. Displacement caused by conflict had previously prevented many families from returning to their homes.

Maiser Haji Saleh, the head of Sinjar’s Education Department, told 964media that over eight Kurdish-language schools have been established this year, contributing to the increase in student enrollment. “This year, more than 20,000 students are attending schools in Sinjar,” Saleh said.

Saleh noted that many displaced families have now returned to the area and resettled in their communities. “All students have received new textbooks, ensuring they have the necessary materials,” he added.

Sinjar District, made up of three subdistricts—Sinjar Center, Sinuni, and Qayrawan—was heavily impacted by the 2014 ISIS attacks, which displaced a significant portion of the population, forcing them into camps in the Kurdistan Region. However, in recent years, residents have gradually begun returning to their homes.

In late August, around 130 displaced families—comprising 732 individuals—from Esyan Camp in Baadre, located in the Shekhan District under Kurdish control, returned to Sinjar.

The Iraqi Council of Ministers had initially ordered all internally displaced person camps in the Kurdistan Region to close by the end of July 2024, but the implementation was delayed. On August 6, 2024, the Ministry of Migration extended the deadline to the end of the year to finalize an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government and assist in facilitating the return of IDPs.