Thousands of Iraqi Refugees in Desperate Need of Aid as Winter Approaches

Russ Jones | Christian Press | Updated: Oct 21, 2014

Thousands of Iraqi Refugees in Desperate Need of Aid as Winter Approaches

With winter coming soon, religious minorities in Iraq face uncertain times.

In anticipation of winter, Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will deliver to thousands of displaced Iraqi Christians food, shelter, schooling and gifts for children in a concerted emergency relief program.

"There is an absolutely overwhelming need... people cannot be expected to survive in tents," John Pontifex of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) told Christian Today.

The $5 million plan announced by Aid to the Church in Need, one of the largest in the charity’s 67-year history, also includes pastoral support for priests and Sisters displaced by the crisis that has swept the country.

"These people left their homes with nothing other than the shirts on their backs. They need warm clothes, housing, schools, and they need greater protections to ensure that they don't fall to the mercy of extreme militants," said Pontifex.

ACN maintains the Christian communities are dependent on outside assistance and have been supported by the Church since they arrived in Kurdish northern Iraq. Many of them have found refuge in Ankawa, close to the regional capital, Erbil, and further north in the region of Dohuk, close to the Turkish border.

Publication date: October 21, 2014



Thousands of Iraqi Refugees in Desperate Need of Aid as Winter Approaches