Iraqi Christians Continue to Face Threats of Violence and Economic Insecurity
Christians in Iraq are still living under the threat of violence
three months after the attack on the Saidat al-Najat church in
Baghdad.
In its latest update on Christian displacement in the country,
IOM monitors in Baghdad report that Christians are facing grave
threats to their lives despite the increased presence of security
checkpoints near their homes.
Persistent insecurity is driving more Christians from their
homes, with IOM monitors now counting over 1,300 Christian families
seeking refuge in the northern governorates of Erbil, Dahuk,
Sulaymaniyah, and Ninewa. Erbil has witnessed the greatest
influx with over 830 Christian families being displaced to the
governorate since November 2010. Some of the families had
originally fled to Ninewa before again being displaced.
Document
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target="_blank" title="">Christian Displacement Update, 31 January
2011
The physical instability driving Christian displacement is now
leading to financial hardship as well. Some in Baghdad have
sought to exploit the situation by publishing rumors of impending
violence against Christians in order to drive down prices of
Christian homes and to force Christians to flee.
Unable to sell their homes for a fair price and quickly in
addition to facing difficulties in transferring their jobs or
finding new sources of income, many Christians are finding it
difficult to support themselves while displaced.
Compounding their financial strain, most of the displaced live
in rented accommodation where rents are high and rapidly
rising. IOM monitors note that in some areas with high
numbers of displaced Christians, rents for very modest
accommodation have risen by 200 to 300 per cent since last November
when the current wave of Christian displacement began.
Education is a serious concern for many of the displaced,
particularly among university students. Almost all those
previously studying in Baghdad and Mosul have found it impossible
to continue their studies at universities elsewhere, with monitors
reporting that some are forced to return to Mosul to take their
exams.
The IOM update also reports that with little promise of improved
security for Christians in Baghdad and Ninewa, a majority of those
displaced to Erbil, Dahuk, and Sulaymaniyah say they intend to
settle where they are.
More details can be found in the updated
"paragraph-link-no-underline" href=
"http://www.iomiraq.net/library/IOM_displacement_monitoring_reports/special_focus_reports/2010/Christian%20Displacement%20Update%2031%20January%202011.pdf"
target="_blank" title="">report on Christian displacement.
For further information, please contact:
Keegan de Lancie
IOM Iraq
Tel: +962 079 764 1416
E-mail:
"mailto:kdelancie@iom.int">kdelancie@iom.int