Yazidis , among Iraq 's smallest minorities , are of Kurdish descent , and their religion is considered a pre-Islamic sect that draws from Christianity , Judaism and Zoroastrianism . Thousands of families from Iraq 's Yazidi minority flee as Islamist fighters storm their community . The militants have taken over Sinjar, a town in northern Iraq that is home to thousands of members of the persecuted religious sect. UNICEF warns that up to 25,000 children are stranded in the mountains without food , water . Amnesty International appeals to Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to protect Yazidis .
Thousands of families from Iraq 's Yazidi minority flee as Islamist fighters storm their community . The militants have taken over Sinjar, a town in northern Iraq that is home to thousands of members of the persecuted religious sect. UNICEF warns that up to 25,000 children are stranded in the mountains without food , water . Amnesty International appeals to Iraqi and Kurdish authorities to protect Yazidis .