After three years of being separated after ISIS fighters attacked their village, a Yazidi boy was reunited with his mother this morning.

Nofa Zaghla had assumed her son was dead. She was separated from Emad, as well as his father and brother, after ISIS fighters attacked their village in 2014, during what is now known as the Yazidi Genocide.

"She thought that he was dead," said Adam, a recent Syrian refugee. "What [ISIS] did to us, they are unhuman."

However, a photo of Emad showed up on social media, and Zaghla was told about it on July 14. The photo showed Iraqi forces helping him after releasing him from ISIS. Since then, his mother, along with the Yazidi Association of Manitoba, have been trying to bring Emad home.

"[The mother] has been in my office a number of times . . . trying to bring her son here," said Robert-Falcon Ouellette, MP for Winnipeg Centre. "I'm proud of the work my staff did to make sure this moment could happen.

"It's important to demonstrate who we are as people, that we're human beings first and foremost."

Early in the morning on August 17, with hundreds of people coming out to support them, Zaghla and Emad saw each other for the first time in over three years. The reunion was emotional for everyone involved.

"It's just unreal to see it all unfold," said Laila Khoudeda, an interpreter for Zaghla. "I've never seen anything like it."

Emad said that he was very happy to see his mom, but wanted to remind everyone that there are more kids who are waiting to be rescued, just like he was.

Emad's uncle accompanied him to Canada. He has been taking care of Emad since he was freed from ISIS captivity.