Press release

FCO Minister Tobias Ellwood marks Sinjar anniversary

Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood marks one year since Yazidi plight on Mount Sinjar at the hands of ISIL.

This was published under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government

Speaking today Mr Ellwood said:

A year ago, the UK’s brave Armed Forces and aid workers played a crucial role in getting vital supplies to innocent civilians suffering at the hands of ISIL. The Yazidi community were exposed, starving and dying of thirst when they were forced up Mount Sinjar after fleeing from their homes. The UK Government conducted seven airdrops of life-saving humanitarian aid.

We will continue to protect all those persecuted by these brutal terrorists as part of a 63 nation coalition designed to defeat ISIL’s poisonous ideology.

We acknowledge that we need to do more in the fight against violent Islamist extremism. Be in no doubt, we are committed to destroying the terrorist scourge of ISIL that threatens the lives of people from all communities in both Iraq and Syria. Defeating ISIL will take time and patience but it is a fight we must win.

Further information

Follow Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood on Twitter: @TobiasEllwoodMP.

Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter.

Follow the Foreign Office on Facebook & Google+.

Media enquiries

For journalists

Updates to this page

Published 3 August 2015