Decision to flee changes priorities
“Priority when packing goes to items needed for survival. Clothes. Food and water for the journey. Tents for shelter. Perhaps some items for cooking, maybe some tools. When speed is of the essence and space is tight – entire families cram into cars and small minibuses for the journey – life becomes dominated by a new set of priorities.

“Life in transit carries immense dangers. Travel anywhere in Iraq is dangerous, and vehicles on main roads are frequently targeted by insurgent groups. Convoys of vehicles are considered easy pickings for robbers, since those on board will be vulnerable and may be carrying their life savings in cash. For fleeing Christians, many of whom are grieving for loved ones, or caring for sick and injured relatives, this adds to the stress and tension. Uncertainly about what awaits at their destination only compounds the horror.

Christians aim for Northern Iraq
“Many Christian refugees heading to the Kurdish region in the North of Iraq, joining the Christian population in the area around the Nineveh Plains outside Mosul. There are tentative plans to provide Christians with a safe haven in this region, living under the jurisdiction of the Kurdish governors. These have been given a cautious welcome by Kurdish leaders, and backed by many Iraqi Christian leaders.

“Whilst some refugees are joining settled Christian communities, others are looking for new areas to settle. Some Christians are moving back into villages that had been ethnically cleansed by Saddam‘s 'Arabisation’ programmes in the 1980s. These now stand empty as Sunni Muslims, fearing reprisals for their time in the North under Saddam; have migrated down into other Sunni areas of Iraq.

“Life in the North has a semblance of normality. Since the whole region has been semi-autonomous for nearly fifteen years, it has a degree of calm that is at odds with the chaos elsewhere within the country. The food markets are full and lively, for those who have the money to spend. There is even a functioning welfare system which administers emergency food aid to the needy.

Refugees from violence face new threats
That is not to say that life here is comfortable. There is little work for the refugees, as the dominant economy of the North is agricultural and few from the cities have the skills or the tools to work the land. Lack of work means that many are living off meager savings, or are reliant on emergency food aid. However, the sheer number of refugees is threatening to overwhelm the area. The social welfare system is operating well beyond capacity, leaving the most vulnerable at risk of missing out.”

The report said that living in refugee camps brings new problems including risks to health and well-being. Disease and illness are rife and there is little in the way of basic medicines. Common ailments - colds, infections from cuts - become life threatening, particularly for the very young and the very old.