People group profile · PG048854
The Yazidi Kurds of Iraq
The Yazidi Kurds of Iraq, numbering about 665,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Kurdish-speaking ethno‑religious minority whose traditional homeland spans northern Iraq, northern Syria, southeastern Turkey, the Caucasus, and parts of Iran.
They are an indigenous people in the Kurd people cluster of the Persian-Median Peoples. Their primary religion is Yazidism, and they primarily speak Northern Kurdish.
Fast facts
- Country
- Iraq
- Population
- 665,000
- Affinity group
- Central Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Kurd
- Primary language
- Northern Kurdish (kmr)
- Primary religion
- Yazidism
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Also known as
- Yezidi, Êzdî, Êzidî, Yezidi Kurds
- Region
- Western Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Yazidi Kurds are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Yazidi Kurds
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Yazidism · Ethnoreligion
100% adherents
Primary language
Northern Kurdish · Indo-European family
100% speak Northern Kurdish
Gospel resources in Northern Kurdish
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Kurmanji Standard)
- JESUS (Kurdish, Afrini)
- JESUS (Kurmanji - Cis)
- JESUS (Kurdi, Behdini)
- Magdalena (Kurdi, Behdini)
- Magdalena (Kurmanji Standard)
Bibles
- 2005 United Bible Society · audio
- 2019 Kurdish Literature Association · video, audio, text
- Transcaucasia · video, audio, text
- Transcaucasia · video, audio, text
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Yazidi Kurds
- 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
- Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
- Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
- Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
Yazidi in other countries
The same people (ROP3 116305) is reported in 3 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yazidi Kurds | Germany | 101,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Yazidi Kurds | Armenia | 35,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Yazidi Kurds | United States | 1,100 | Unengaged and Unreached |
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