World Council of Churches Statement on the current situation in Mosul, Iraq

The World Council of Churches is following with great concerns the tragic developments of the situation in Iraq. “We are deeply shocked and distressed by the recent events in Mosul, where hundreds of thousands of people have fled the second largest city in Iraq because of the violence and raids by the “Islamic State”, a terrorist group formerly known as the “Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham” (ISIS). This radical group is imposing its terror on the whole population, specifically targeting minority groups, including Christians, who have remained steadfast in the city after several waves of displacement.
Out of the 500,000 people who have left Mosul and the area, there are around 10,000 Christians who have been displaced and fled to the neighbouring Kurdish areas, as well as thousands of people from other religious and ethnic minorities and many who oppose the terror regime imposed by ISIS.
Credible media reports and other accounts received from the Bishops in Mosul and the neighbouring villages in the Nineveh plain confirm that Mosul has been nearly emptied of its Christian population. Christians in this city have maintained a continuous presence since the dawn of Christianity. We also mourn with those who have lost their innocent loved ones during the military offensive, and pray for a speedy recovery for the injured”.