In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Millie's Bookshelf is proud to announce its partnership with Nadia’s Initiative, an organization headed by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and human rights advocate Nadia Murad, to provide emergency food relief to the Yazidi community in Sinjar, Iraq. 

“Displaced populations are particularly vulnerable during times of societal stress. With the current pandemic at the forefront of our minds, we have been eager to find ways to help those most impacted by the rapid spread of COVID-19,” said Millie’s Bookshelf Executive Director Katie Howland. “Partnering with Nadia’s Initiative has allowed us to provide emergency aid when and where it’s needed most.”

This recent project in Sinjar was made possible thanks to the generous support of The Pollination Project. Organizational partner Nadia’s Initiative is currently working in this province to rebuild the ancestral Yazidi homeland following the 2014 ISIS-perpetrated genocide. Due to the widespread destruction of the local economy and agricultural land during ISIS’ occupation, the recent COVID-19 national curfews have exacerbated food insecurity in an already hard-hit region. 

To address this challenge, Millie’s Bookshelf provided emergency food provisions for more than 150 at-risk individuals in seven towns, as well as the Sardasht internally displaced persons camp on Mount Sinjar. Each rations package contained critical household staples, including rice, grain, tea, tomato paste, sugar, lentils, chickpeas, beans, dates, and salt. Millie’s Bookshelf is proud to support refugees and other vulnerable groups, especially during this time of increased vulnerability.