ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Saturday announced the launch of 14 infrastructure and rehabilitation projects in Sinjar district and the Nineveh plains, aimed at encouraging the voluntary return of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The projects aim to facilitate the reconstruction of Sinjar, “emphasizing the commitment to finishing the file of the displaced and implementing projects as a helping agent to expedite their return,” according to a statement by Sudani’s office.

Following the Islamic State (ISIS) attack on Sinjar in August 2014, thousands of Yazidis were forced to flee their homes in hopes of escaping the militant group’s atrocities.

Sudani announced in a teleconference on Saturday “the launch of the executive work on 14 projects within the first package of infrastructure projects and rehabilitation works in Sinjar district and Nineveh plains.”

The projects are set to come at a cost of 18 billion dinars (roughly 12 million dollars), and are set to include “the construction, rehabilitation and development of major roads connecting areas and villages at different lengths.”

Over ten years after the ISIS attack, thousands of Yazidis remain missing, and tens of thousands of others are unwilling to return to their homes due to security concerns exacerbated by a lack of services and reconstruction.

To encourage returns, the Ministry of Migration and Displacement has offered aid and incentives since January 2024, including a one-time payment of four million Iraqi dinars per family, potential government employment, social security benefits, and interest-free loans for small businesses.

The total number of Yazidi IDPs uprooted from Sinjar is estimated to be between 350,000 to 450,000, with their primary destination being the Kurdistan Region, specifically Duhok province, according to a 2024 report by the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM).