Around one thousand Yazidis are surrounded in the northern part of Iraq occupied by Islamist militants. Members of the Kurdish religious group decided to leave for the mountains ten years ago after Sunni militants overtook the city of Sinjar. "The militants are going to destroy them. No one can help them now. I am afraid they may all die," a representative of the Kurdish regional government in Russia, Aso Jangi Talabani, says.
According to him, the militants fighting in Iraq are the same as those who are struggling against the Syrian government. "Among these militants there are those who came from different countries of the world, such as republics of the former USSR and countries of North Africa. The question is: how have these people arrived in Syria if there is no international support for them?" the envoy asked.
Talabani also said that the Kurds who live in Shagal panicked after the militants started their offensive. "They did not know where to run. The only way was to flee to the mountains. Mount Shangal is 10 km from the city. Some 5 thousand Yazidis left for the mountains. According to the data provided by the United Nations, there are over 30 thousand people living in these mountains. The situation there is indeed very tense. There is no food, no power supply, no medicine, no water supply. Those who fled to the mountains cannot leave the territory of Iraq because the militants have surrounded the mountains. There are elderly people, sick people and children who cannot run away. Many countries are willing to help, but the situation is indeed very difficult. It's very hard to access the mountains. If the world does not realize how serious the situation is, these people will die. They have no chance of escape," he said.
Talabani also underlined that in order to combat the terrorists the international community should provide the Kurdish armed forces with better and more modern arms. The envoy also expressed his fear that the US will not deliver arms to Kurdistan. "The US helps only when it's in its own interests," he said.
