URGENT PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Urgent Warning of Escalating Violence and Imminent Humanitarian Crisis Facing Kurds and Other Minorities in the Region of Rojava, Northern Syria
A rapidly deteriorating security situation in northern Syria, is placing Kurdish civilians, Druze, Christian’s, Yezidi’s, and Alawites at extreme risk, with killings reported, approximately 150,000 thousand displaced, and fears growing that renewed conflict will unleash a major humanitarian and security crisis with consequences far beyond the region.
Speaking from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Taban Shoresh OBE, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Lotus Flower and a 2025 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award recipient for the Middle East and North Africa, warned that Kurdish communities are once again being targeted as fighting intensifies. Reports from the ground indicate that civilians are being forced from their homes, Kurdish women are being deliberately targeted, and ISIS detainees are escaping or being released amid the chaos. “The Kurdish forces, particularly Kurdish women fighters, played a decisive role in defeating ISIS and protecting global security,” Shoresh said. “Today, those same communities are being abandoned while extremist elements regroup. If this violence is not urgently de-escalated, the humanitarian fallout will be devastating, and the security implications will not remain contained within Syria.”
The Lotus Flower has been supporting survivors of ISIS conflict since 2016, including Syrian refugees and Yezidi community. The Lotus Flower is calling on the international community to put pressure on Syrian government to de-escalate and ensure protection for civilians and ensure ISIS detainees are accounted for before the situation deteriorates further.
Media Availability
Taban Shoresh OBE is available for comment.
info@thelotusflower.org
About The Lotus Flower:
The Lotus Flower is a non-governmental organization which is legally registered in the Federal Government of Baghdad and KRI. The Lotus Flower programs empower vulnerable women, girls and other community members so that they are safe, have opportunities to learn, the tools to become financially independent and the freedom to lead change. We provide safe social spaces inside refugee & IDP camps and implement projects to help them rebuild their lives and earn a living. We run multiple women’s and children centers for the IDP, refugee and host community in Iraq and have mobile teams in areas where static centers are not feasible.
The Lotus Flower services work to fill resource gaps by providing community-responsive programming which changes over time in response to feedback, but revolves around 6 pillars from the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals:
Health & Safety (including MHPSS)
Education and Livelihoods
Peacebuilding & Human Rights
Climate Change
We aim to provide the foundation for women, girls and other needed community members to rebuild themselves, their families, and their futures. As local implementers, we work at the grassroots level to get right into the heart of communities, listening to local needs and employing local communities to implement the programs.
Our main fundamental belief is that women and girls are powerful drivers of change, and we provide the support they need to reach their full potential and rebuild their futures. We strive for a world where they are safe from violence, free to access education, and are empowered to participate in their communities to drive social and economic change from within. We are investing in the future of women and girls because they play a vital role in resurrecting and strengthening communities. As local implementers, we work at the grassroots level to get right into the heart of communities. To ensure we meet their needs, we listen to the local community and employ local women to implement the programs.
The Lotus Flower has been widely recognized for its impactful and innovative work in advancing women's rights, economic empowerment, and justice for survivors. In 2021, the organization was honored with the CARE International Partnership Award, a prestigious recognition granted every four years to celebrate the professionalism and commitment of CARE’s global partners. Further affirming its dedication to women’s economic independence, The Lotus Flower received the IValues Award from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation under the “Economy and Jobs” category for the success and significance of its Women’s Business Incubation project. The organization also gained international acclaim through the PILnet Global Partnership Award for its groundbreaking initiative “Accountability for Yazidi Survivors of Atrocities by Da’esh,” which was recognized as one of the best cross-sectoral pro bono legal collaborations worldwide. Additionally, The Lotus Flower was a proud recipient of the UNHCR Innovation Award in 2022, further highlighting its commitment to delivering creative, impactful solutions for vulnerable communities.
