Yazidi Refugees in Northern Iraq fleeing ISIL advance, Mount Sinjar

Operation OKRA is the Australian Defence Force's contribution to the international effort to combat the Daesh (also known as ISIL) terrorist threat in Iraq and Syira. This lithograph by Jones is a response to the media bombardment of imagery related to this conflict as well as the human suffering associated with it. The work has been influenced by media photographs of the Yazidi’s ascending Mount Sinjar to escape ISIL. The work uses Jones’s fluid ink style of mark making which highlights the frenzied anguish of the Yazidi’s and their attempted escape from ISIL.

The Yazidi’s are an ethno-religious group whose ancient religion, Yazidism, is linked to Zoroastrianism and ancient Mesopotamian religions. They live primarily in the Nineveh Province of Northern Iraq. From August 2014 to the present, the Yazidi’s have been targeted by ISIL in its campaign to "purify" Iraq and neighbouring countries of non-Islamic influences. The Yazidi’s fled to Mount Sinjar in August 2014 with other Iraqi’s and were besieged by ISIL. The US led coalition organised airstrikes and aid drops with the Australian Air Task Group delivering nine tonnes of supplies to Yazidi civilians trapped on Mount Sinjar on 14 August using a RAAF C-130J aircraft. Then in November 2014, an Australian C-130 from Australia’s support base in the Middle East conducted another four airdrops at Mount Sinjar.