Shabaks - The Shabak people

Shabaks live in the Ninewa Plains ¿ that¿s their only home. But with the invasion of ISIS, many families sought refuge in Dohuk or Erbil, and some remain there. Very few Shabaks ended up in Sulaimaniya. Overall, there are no accurate statistics on the number of Shabak refugees just as there are no statistics on the number of Shabaks as a whole. The last accurate census was in 1977. According to UN estimates, the population is between 300,000 and 350,000.The fighting displaced an estimated 96% of Shabaks. As far as known, 60,000-70,000 Shabak IDPs live in the KRI. Some of those, who returned to the Ninewa Plains experienced reverse migration and ended up in Erbil or Duhok due to the lack of economic opportunities.Free Shabak Movement. The party was founded in accordance with the 2015 Iraqi political parties law. Previously, we competed as a list of candidates and not as a party. Then, in 2013, we won a seat in the Ninewa Provincial Council. In 2014, they won a seat in the Iraqi Parliament. They did not win a seat in 2018.