> IRAQ: Attacks drive thousands of Christians out of Mosul > > BAGHDAD, 12 October 2008 (IRIN) - Nearly 750 Christian families, about > 3,750 individuals, have fled their homes in Mosul, a city about 400km > north of Baghdad, as Sunni Muslim extremists have increased attacks > against this religious minority since 4 October, a local official said on > 11 October. > > "We have registered so far 744 Christian families who left their houses in > Mosul due to the recent attacks. Most have ended up either in relatives' > houses or churches or monasteries in nearby towns and villages where there > are many Christians," said Jawdat Ismaiel, provincial director of the > Ministry of Displacement and Migration. > > Ismaiel said these new internally displaced persons (IDPs) are distributed > in seven towns and villages to the north and east of Mosul, the provincial > capital of Ninevah province. He said there were about 200 families in > Qaraqoush, 187 families in Tal Skouf, 145 families in Bartila, 96 families > in Baashiqa, 47 families in Karam Less, 37 families in Tilkaif and 32 > families in Alqoush. > > Ismaiel added that his teams are visiting all the towns and villages that > have offered safe haven to Christian families in order to track their > number, which is "increasing dramatically hour after hour". > > Aid deliveries > > He went on to say that 150 food and aid packages have been distributed so > far to these families and at least 50 more were expected to be distributed > later on 11 October. Each package includes four bed rolls, four blankets, > four pillows, hygiene and kitchen materials, cans of food, lanterns, > tomato paste, clothing for adults and children and toothpaste. > > In addition, Ismaiel said the displacement ministry is planning to build a > makeshift tent camp in Bartila if needed. > > An accurate estimation of the Christian population in Iraq is not > available but hundreds of thousands of Christians are known to have fled > the country since the US-led invasion of the country in 2003 for fear of > attacks by both Sunni and Shia religious extremists. > > A local police officer in Mosul said that since 4 October police had found > seven dead Christians who appeared to have been kidnapped by gunmen and > killed execution-style. The latest was a construction worker killed on 8 > October. > > The officer spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to > speak to media. > > Following these recent attacks, Ni'ma Noail, a 50-year-old Christian civil > servant, decided to leave his house in Mosul and has ended up in a room in > a church in Bartila. > > "We left everything behind us. We only took our souls," Noail, a > father-of-three, said. "Relatives in other cities and friends in Mosul, > including Muslims, advised me to leave after recent events." > > He called on the government and US-led forces to "honour their word to > offer protection to Christians". > > sm/ed[END] > > > > © IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: > http://www.irinnews.org > > [This item comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis > service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The > opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations > or its Member States. Reposting or reproduction, with attribution, for > non-commercial purposes is permitted. Terms and conditions: > http://www.irinnews.org/copyright.aspx > > Principal IRIN donors: Australia, Canada, Denmark, EC, Japan, Netherlands, > Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA. More information: > http://www.irinnews.org/donors.aspx > > This mail is from a non-reply e-mail address. Contact IRIN at: > [Е-ПОШТА > ЗАШТИЋЕНА] Revise or > stop your subscription: > http://www.irinnews.org/subscriptions ] > > >
