Rebuilding Kani Sarek: A Community’s Journey Toward Recovery and Stability

A Village Struggling to Rebuild 

Kani Sarek, a small village in Iraq’s Sinjar district, bears the scars of war. Years after the ISIS invasion, its residents—many of whom belong to the Yazidi community—are still struggling to rebuild their lives. An estimated 250,000 Yazidis fled the region, and those who have returned face immense challenges, struggling to re-establish themselves. Destroyed homes and lack of access to basic infrastructure are the main hinderance to re-establishing life in their place of origin. 

Moreover, the return movement should enable communities to rebuild together, rather than as individuals, restoring a shared sense of belonging and unity.  

In response to this situation, UN-Habitat, with the support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), is working to create sustainable conditions for returnees by rehabilitating homes and infrastructure, and safeguarding their HLP rights. 

A Comprehensive Approach to Sustainable Recovery 

Under the project "Promoting Peace and Stability in Iraq by Facilitating Sustainable Returns”, UN-Habitat is supporting the community's recovery and promoting adequate urban recovery conditions for returnees.  

To promote long-term stability, the project also provides legal assistance on Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) rights. Many displaced families lost official documentation during the conflict or belong to marginalized groups, such as the Yazidis, that were denied land ownership, creating uncertainty over land ownership. Through awareness sessions and technical support, UN-Habitat has empowered returnees to understand and claim their rights. Also, UN-Habitat has helped thousands by registering their HLP claims and distributing land occupancy certificates. 

UN-Habitat adopts a comprehensive approach to promote sustainable return, rehabilitating houses within the community, along with WASH infrastructure rehabilitation to improve access to potable water and drainage system. UN-Habitat also assists returnees in securing their Housing, Land, and Property rights. This comprehensive rehabilitation approach ensures that grassroots activities are durable, allowing entire communities, to return, reconnect, support each other, and thrive.  

Measurable Impact: Restoring Homes, Infrastructure, and Rights 

• Over the past three years, the collaboration between UN-Habitat Iraq and KOICA has made significant strides in supporting internally displaced people and communities in Iraq. This partnership has: 

• Provided 308 homes for 2,347 returnees. 

• Supplied potable water to 3,407 people. 

• Rehabilitated drainage networks, benefiting 19,267 residents of Sinjar. 

• Assisted 1,038 people with Housing, Land, and Property rights through 46 awareness sessions. 

• Registered 4,004 claims and distributed 4,003 Land Occupancy Certificates, supporting 24,915 beneficiaries 

• Initiated the reconstruction of 258 additional damaged houses, which are set for completion by the end of the project period. 

The partners and donors

• Prime Minister’s Office 

• Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) 

• Ninewa Governorate 

• Sinjar Municipality 

Voices from the Community: The Story of Ms. Ghazal

Ms. Ghazal, a 63-year-old Yazidi woman, is one of the 250,000 people who were forced to flee their homes. Years later, she returned to the very village she once had to leave behind. Her house, like so many others, was left in ruins, but with the support of UN-Habitat Iraq, it has been rehabilitated, along with the community around it.

“I loved this place before ISIS arrived. We were all here—relatives, uncles, and cousins. We were all family. We had olive trees to care for, dug around their roots, and harvested the olives. We had relationships with neighbours and relatives, used to visit each other and drink tea together under the shade of houses or trees.” 

That life was abruptly shattered. Displacement not only took away homes, it fractured the very fabric of daily life, tearing apart bonds of kinship, routine, and memory. Ms. Ghazal, a widow and mother to a child with a motion disability, carried the compounded weight of trauma, loss, and responsibility through years of uncertainty.  

“We were very worried that we would never return to Sinjar. Just thinking about it made us feel sad and distressed. We were very afraid of ISIS. Even after the area was liberated, we were still afraid of them.” 

But hope found its way back. Through years of community-led recovery and reconstruction efforts, life has slowly begun to return. As Ms. Ghazal looks around her village today, she reflects: “Indeed, life has returned to the village, and people have reconnected with each other. Previously, the village was entirely deserted, and not a single house remained intact.” 

Her story is a testament to the resilience of those who return, not only to rebuild their homes, but to reclaim the life and memories that no violence can ever fully erase.  

Challenges of returning 

When the defeat of ISIS was announced, her first reaction was, “Thank God, Sinjar is free. One day, we will return to our homes, our land, and our country. It was a wonderful feeling. When we heard that the roads were open and that Sinjar was safe, we decided to return.” 

The reality of returning brought new challenges: where to go, where to stay, how to accommodate her son’s disability needs, how to rehabilitate the house, and how to provide for her family. “At first, I came back alone. Some of our relatives had already returned before us. We returned gradually. In 2017, we were all back in Sinjar.” 

Ms. Ghazal and her family lost everything, both material and immaterial. Her house, community, and sense of belonging. That is why UN-Habitat had supported sustainable return of Kani Sarek by rehabilitating houses within villages with improved access to water through water tanks and connection to water pipes.  

“Before moving into my current house, we lived in another house in Sinjar, but it didn’t have water. The organisation built a water system, so now we have running water thanks to them. Before that, we only got water every few days, and we had to buy it. We benefited a lot from their work. They helped us with that.” 

UN-Habitat has also helped other villages in Sinjar with securing their Housing, Land, and Property (HLP) rights, while restoring drainage systems and water supply networks. The comprehensive rehabilitation approach adopted by UN-Habitat ensures that grassroots activities are durable, allowing entire communities, to return, reconnect, help each other and thrive. 

“My husband has passed, and my son Falah cannot work. At first, our relatives and neighbours from Sinjar came to help us build the stairs and put a roof over the bathroom. Without their help, we wouldn’t have been able to do anything—not me, nor my son Falah.” 

“Our house was just a structure—only the roof and walls. UN-Habitat provided all the rest. They connected electricity, fixed the sewage system, installed windows and doors, renovated the floors, and plastered the walls. They did not leave anything unfinished. I wish them all the best in this amazing work. It’s something to be proud of. I hope they continue to succeed.” 

A Model of Recovery  

The story of the village of Kani Sarek is just one example of how UN-Habitat is helping communities recover from crisis through improving their housing conditions. The success of this initiative highlights the importance of collaborative efforts between humanitarian and development agencies, government institutions, and donors in rebuilding conflict-affected areas, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable, long-term approaches from the very start of the return process.  

Thanks to the support of KOICA, the Prime Minister’s Office, Ninewa Governorate, and Sinjar Municipality, thousands of displaced families now have a safe home, access to essential services, and documentation of their property rights.  

Looking Forward  

UN-Habitat remains committed to promoting inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable communities in Iraq. By putting housing at the center of recovery efforts, the organization is not just rebuilding homes— it is restoring hope, dignity, and a sense of belonging for thousands of returnees.

As Kani Sarek continues its journey toward stability, its story serves as a testament to the power of community-driven recovery where neighbors rebuild not just their houses, but their lives, together.