Abstract
Background and objectives: Northern Iraq has endured repeated mass atrocities, producing violent bereavement, disappearances, and prolonged uncertainty. In Sorya (Duhok Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan), recent humanitarian forensic interventions have begun to identify victims and return remains. This study centers families’ witness narratives to map psychological needs, illuminate how grief is lived, and examine how forensic truth-seeking, justice, and cultural practice intersect in recovery.
Methods: A hermeneutic phenomenological desi
gn was employed to study 10 relatives of mass-grave victims (7 men, 3 women; ages 41 – 75) residing in Kurdistan Region-Iraq. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in July–August 2025 to gather required data. Data analysis was conducted using Van Manen’s six methodological activities.
Results: Five thematic clusters emerged: (1) Trauma and Loss; (2) Memory and Testimony; (3) Psychological Needs and Wellbeing; (4) Social and Family Dynamics; and (5) Reconstruction of Lives. Families explicitly linked psychosocial stabilization to dignified exhumation, identification, and return of remains, alongside official acknowledgment and naming of perpetrators.
Conclusion: The accounts of the victims’ relatives indicate that effective support in Sorya requires integrating layered MHPSS with humanitarian forensic action and justice-oriented documentation, delivered through culturally grounded, survivor-led practices that validate grief, strengthen everyday social support, and protect dignity.
Keywords: Iraqi Kurdistan; Sorya mass graves; violent bereavement; ambiguous loss; hermeneutic phenomenology; psychosocial support; humanitarian forensic action; recognition and justice. Full Text Research
