Securing a future for Now ’s Christians Iraq’s Christians can start to go home “Before the arrival of Daesh (ISIS), damage to the houses is not too ACN is helping them return to their ancient homeland there were 1,450 families living serious, unlike in Badnaya, where in Telskuf, 110 in Bakofa, 950 in 80 percent of the houses have Badnaya, over 700 in Telskef and been destroyed.” 875 in . Fr Salar told us: “It costs US$7,000 “For these families the fi rst to refurbish a home that has been precondition for returning to their lightly damaged, to repair a house villages is security,” explained Fr that has been burned out costs Salar Boudagh. The Chaldean priest US$25,000, to rebuild a house that is involved in the plans to help has been totally destroyed costs Christians return to these villages. US$65,000. He added: “Our area, the eastern “I pray to God that the part of the plains, is benefactors of ACN, who have patrolled by a Christian security helped us so much up till now, force, [a unit of] the Zeravani, who will continue to help us in every can give us a 100 percent guarantee way possible – to rebuild our of security.” The Zeravani are the homes and our villages, to Kurdish military police. encourage the families to return “We have begun rebuilding work and re-establish Christianity in An armed guard protects the church at Telskuf in Telskuf and Bakofa, because the the land of the prophets.” on the . Giving displaced families their daily bread

“The need to support our internally displaced Christians continues,”

Archbishop Bashar Warda told Aid to Magazine Figaro ©Thomas Goisque/Le the Church in Need. Soldiers erect a wooden cross on the Dome of ’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Iraq’s largest church, it was torched and used With many organisations unable to as a shooting gallery by Daesh (ISIS). keep up the provision of aid, ACN is now the only charity providing food aid for For thousands of Iraqi families – whom Churches to draw up a plan to allow [Internally Displaced Persons] – some displaced families in Erbil. you have been helping since they were displaced Christians to return. are only living in a small room – they forced from their villages by Daesh (ISIS) And these plans bore fruit in May, want to return to their lives.” Each food package costs £46 and – the day they have long waited for will when preparatory work began on But rebuilding the Christian homes includes among other essentials: soon arrive. For almost three years they rebuilding the fi rst 105 homes in will take time and cost more than £160 Karamlesh, Baghdeda, and Qaraqosh. million – which is why the Churches * 10kg rice have depended on you for food, shelter, medicine and other emergency aid. The week aft er work began in Iraq, are looking for more organisations * 5kg oats But now Daesh has been driven Archbishop Bashar Warda, who is caring to help with rebuilding the villages. * 800g tomato puree Food being distributed by the Church to refugee families in Erbil. out of the Nineveh Plains, we can for the displaced families, visited the And until displaced families who * 5 litres cooking oil announce plans to rebuild around UK. He told us an ever growing number fl ed to Erbil can return home there Every month it costs around not forget us in the coming critical * 4 cans of fi sh 13,000 Christian houses, so they of Christians want to go back to their is the ongoing cost of feeding and £553,700 to feed all the displaced months.” The road back home to * 6kg beans can go home. villages – but more support is needed to sheltering them. families. Christian IDPs in Erbil are not the Nineveh Plains will be a long Aid to the Church in Need surveyed the make it a reality. Archbishop Warda said: “What you * 5kg wheat receiving help from the UN or any other one – and until the building project devastated Christian villages at the end He said: “They want to end this contribute will make a diff erence to * 5 packs of cheese humanitarian charity. is completed the internal refugee of 2016 and during the opening months displacement period, to start their lives the lives of others. It is because of your * 4 packs of chicken Archbishop Warda added: “We families still need your help to provide of 2017 worked closely with the region’s again. At the moment they are IDPs help we still have Christians in Iraq.” pray that our brothers and sisters do their daily bread.

Aid to the Aid to the 12-14 Benhill Avenue, Sutton, Surrey SM1 4DA Reports by John Newton. Helping the suff ering Church today Church in Need Aid to the Church in Need is a Pontifi cal Foundation of the Catholic Church All photographs by Aid to the Church in Need except where noted. Church in Need and a registered charity in England and Wales (1097984) and Scotland (SC040748) © Aid to the Church in Need (June 2017) www.acnuk.org www.acnuk.org Bringing Putting down back God’s new roots presence to Nineveh

Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda (second from right) at the centre where food parcels are prepared for displaced families. A message from Archbishop Bashar Warda I ask you to continue your help, to And I ask you to help us and help our continue praying for the Christians, families to return home, rebuild their raising awareness about your brothers houses, and start life again in their villages. and sisters persecuted in the Middle East To see the full message please visit and around the world – especially in Iraq. www.acnuk.org/wardavideo

Chaldean priest Fr Steven Azabod surveys the devastation in , a once flourishing It’s town on the Nineveh Plains. now or never Fr Martin Banni returning the Blessed Sacrament to St Addai’s Church in Karamlesh. It takes at least fi ve years before witnesses to Jesus Christ in this Aid to the Church in Need’s Fr Andrzej the Plains of Nineveh, these families olive trees bear fruit – so it was with country, in Iraq and especially in Halemba, who is chairing the NRC, might well decide to leave Iraq forever. As Daesh seized Karamlesh on the a sense of looking to the future that the Plains of Nineveh.” described why now is the time to That would be an enormous tragedy. Nineveh Plains, seminarian Martin olive trees were given to the families During his UK visit Chaldean start rebuilding. He said: “This is a The presence of the Christians in this Banni rescued the Blessed Sacrament who owned the fi rst 105 homes to be Archbishop Bashar Warda stressed decisive historical moment. If we region is of vital importance, and not from the Church, taking it with him as rebuilt on the Nineveh Plains. The the importance of olive trees to the now miss the opportunity to help the only historically, but also politically he fl ed to Erbil in Kurdish northern Iraq. families were asked to plant the trees region: “The Nineveh Plains are Christians return to their homes on and culturally.” Now ordained a priest, Fr Banni has in their houses’ gardens. famous for their olives – there used brought the presence of Our Lord in The olive trees were blessed in to be ancient olive groves around the Blessed Sacrament back to his ceremonies held in Karamlesh, Basiqa, but they were destroyed liberated village. Baghdeda, and Qaraqosh. During the by Daesh.” In a letter to ACN, Fr Banni said: services they were told to put back At the last olive tree ceremony, “I was the fi rst priest to bless the roots in the villages they were born in Baghdeda’s Cathedral of the people in the church in my home in and bring forth fruits of peace Immaculate Conception – which village in northern Iraq.” and reconciliation. was torched by Daesh – Syriac Despite the threat from Daesh, The task of rebuilding Christian Catholic Archbishop Yohanna Fr Banni decided not to go to America villages is being overseen by the Mouche said: “We stand by our where most of his family have settled, Nineveh Reconstruction Committee decision to return, despite all the completing his priestly studies in Erbil, (NRC) formed by three of Iraq’s ancient challenges that await us. Christ is the capital of Kurdish northern Iraq. Churches – Chaldean, Syriac Orthodox our tower of strength that gives Repeating his commitment to and Syriac Catholic. us hope. remain he added: “I told you I would Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan “We must persevere, because stay in Iraq to serve my people and Nicodemus Sharaf – who is part of the this is our soil and our heritage. our Church. Now, I am delighted to ecumenical NRC – said: “We are the I am very happy that we have be celebrating Holy Mass here in roots of Christianity. We must remain an organisation like Aid to the A child and his mother at the blessing of olive trees. Karamlesh.” in our country. We must remain as Church in Need at our side.” Fr Halemba (centre) with other members of the Nineveh Reconstruction Committee including Metropolitan Nicodemus Sharaf to his right and Archbishop Yohanna Mouche to his left.

020 8642 8668 @acn_uk facebook.com/acnuk Please off er hope by making a kind donation to support these and other similar projects around the world www.acnuk.org/iraq Securing a future for Now Iraq’s Christians Iraq’s Christians can start to go home “Before the arrival of Daesh (ISIS), damage to the houses is not too ACN is helping them return to their ancient homeland there were 1,450 families living serious, unlike in Badnaya, where in Telskuf, 110 in Bakofa, 950 in 80 percent of the houses have Badnaya, over 700 in Telskef and been destroyed.” 875 in Karamlesh. Fr Salar told us: “It costs US$7,000 “For these families the fi rst to refurbish a home that has been precondition for returning to their lightly damaged, to repair a house villages is security,” explained Fr that has been burned out costs Salar Boudagh. The Chaldean priest US$25,000, to rebuild a house that is involved in the plans to help has been totally destroyed costs Christians return to these villages. US$65,000. He added: “Our area, the eastern “I pray to God that the part of the Nineveh plains, is benefactors of ACN, who have patrolled by a Christian security helped us so much up till now, force, [a unit of] the Zeravani, who will continue to help us in every can give us a 100 percent guarantee way possible – to rebuild our of security.” The Zeravani are the homes and our villages, to Kurdish military police. encourage the families to return “We have begun rebuilding work and re-establish Christianity in An armed guard protects the church at Telskuf in Telskuf and Bakofa, because the the land of the prophets.” on the Nineveh Plains. Giving displaced families their daily bread

“The need to support our internally displaced Christians continues,”

Archbishop Bashar Warda told Aid to Magazine Figaro ©Thomas Goisque/Le the Church in Need. Soldiers erect a wooden cross on the Dome of Qaraqosh’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Iraq’s largest church, it was torched and used With many organisations unable to as a shooting gallery by Daesh (ISIS). keep up the provision of aid, ACN is now the only charity providing food aid for For thousands of Iraqi families – whom Churches to draw up a plan to allow [Internally Displaced Persons] – some displaced families in Erbil. you have been helping since they were displaced Christians to return. are only living in a small room – they forced from their villages by Daesh (ISIS) And these plans bore fruit in May, want to return to their lives.” Each food package costs £46 and – the day they have long waited for will when preparatory work began on But rebuilding the Christian homes includes among other essentials: soon arrive. For almost three years they rebuilding the fi rst 105 homes in will take time and cost more than £160 Karamlesh, Baghdeda, and Qaraqosh. million – which is why the Churches * 10kg rice have depended on you for food, shelter, medicine and other emergency aid. The week aft er work began in Iraq, are looking for more organisations * 5kg oats But now Daesh has been driven Archbishop Bashar Warda, who is caring to help with rebuilding the villages. * 800g tomato puree Food being distributed by the Church to refugee families in Erbil. out of the Nineveh Plains, we can for the displaced families, visited the And until displaced families who * 5 litres cooking oil announce plans to rebuild around UK. He told us an ever growing number fl ed to Erbil can return home there Every month it costs around not forget us in the coming critical * 4 cans of fi sh 13,000 Christian houses, so they of Christians want to go back to their is the ongoing cost of feeding and £553,700 to feed all the displaced months.” The road back home to * 6kg beans can go home. villages – but more support is needed to sheltering them. families. Christian IDPs in Erbil are not the Nineveh Plains will be a long Aid to the Church in Need surveyed the make it a reality. Archbishop Warda said: “What you * 5kg wheat receiving help from the UN or any other one – and until the building project devastated Christian villages at the end He said: “They want to end this contribute will make a diff erence to * 5 packs of cheese humanitarian charity. is completed the internal refugee of 2016 and during the opening months displacement period, to start their lives the lives of others. It is because of your * 4 packs of chicken Archbishop Warda added: “We families still need your help to provide of 2017 worked closely with the region’s again. At the moment they are IDPs help we still have Christians in Iraq.” pray that our brothers and sisters do their daily bread.

Aid to the Aid to the 12-14 Benhill Avenue, Sutton, Surrey SM1 4DA Reports by John Newton. Helping the suff ering Church today Church in Need Aid to the Church in Need is a Pontifi cal Foundation of the Catholic Church All photographs by Aid to the Church in Need except where noted. Church in Need and a registered charity in England and Wales (1097984) and Scotland (SC040748) © Aid to the Church in Need (June 2017) www.acnuk.org www.acnuk.org