The Lotus Flower was delighted to take part in a high-profile panel to raise awareness of the ongoing plight of Yazidis living in northern Iraq.
The recent War Child event saw Lotus founder Taban Shoresh join a line-up of leading speakers – including Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, and Craig Tucker, War Child’s UK Country Director for Iraq.
Held at The Ned hotel in London, the discussion was titled Saving forgotten families: How can the international community provide sustainable support for survivors of war? It saw the panel discuss the ISIS invasion of 2014, which forced 350,000 Yazidis to flee to Mount Sinjar, where they remained under siege for months. The panel explored the physical and psychological impact the atrocities have had on victims, and questioned the international response to the humanitarian crisis four years on.
The speakers also addressed the pressing need for solutions from the rest of the world, including the role that businesses can play in bridging the gap between emergency aid and long-term economic regeneration.
“Financial aid to the Yazidi people has dropped off in recent years, so it is vital that we keep their continuing hardship high on the international agenda,” says Taban. “We must do all we can to bridge humanitarian aid with development work, and this is something The Lotus Flower is highly committed to.”
