IRAQ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Iraq/Syria/ISIS conflict has been prevalent in American news as of late.  The Islamic State, although not a new group, has recently made its way across northern Iraq causing mass chaos and a staggering loss of human life in its wake.  ISIS has become a primary focus of international politics and target of U.S. air strikes which have slightly slowed down the Muslim extremist jihadist group.  The UNHCR has estimated 426,114 refugees from Iraq have escaped the country while 1,903,943 are still internally displaced and as much as 2,427,635 Iraqis are of concern to the UNHCR.  As many as 600,000 people are thought to be seeking shelter in the mountain range of northern Iraq and probably in desperate need of aid.  Many of these refugees are Yazidis, an ethno-religious minority who have suffered severe persecution, and are currently being forced to convert to Islam or die by ISIS militants.  Lincoln, Nebraska is currently home to the largest Yazidi population in the U.S.

 

For more information, see the UNHCR 2015 Iraq profile.