350,000 Displaced, 96 Mass Graves: UK Parliament Report Exposes the Forgotten Genocide of Iraq's Christians

UK Parliament Demands Action as Iraq's Christians Face Displacement, Unemployment, and Forgotten Genocide

A new 28 page parliamentary report has called on the UK and Iraqi governments to take stronger action to protect Christians, Yazidis, and other religious minorities across Iraq.

The report, released by the All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB) alongside Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) UK and BYU Law, follows a fact finding delegation visit to Iraq's Kurdistan Region in February 2026.

Jim Shannon MP, who chairs the APPG FoRB, said the document records both the progress observed and the ongoing challenges facing religious minorities seeking safety and freedom.

We are committed to highlighting not only state sponsored persecution but also the everyday barriers and threats that can restrict freedom of belief.

Iraq's population stands at approximately 42 million, with Muslims comprising roughly 97%. Christians, Yazidis, and Sabean Mandaeans make up just 3% of the population and continue to face severe hardship.

The report paints a mixed picture. While the Kurdistan Regional Government received praise for funding displacement camps, providing free land for churches and schools, and supporting social infrastructure, enormous challenges persist elsewhere.

Some 350,000 Yazidis remain displaced. Over 2,500 Yazidis are still unaccounted for. Investigators have discovered 96 mass graves. The Sinjar Agreement, designed to stabilize the region, has failed in its implementation.

Senior church leaders warned the delegation that unemployment and economic strain are pushing many Christians, particularly younger generations, to emigrate permanently from the country their ancestors have called home for nearly 2,000 years.

Parliamentary Report Reveals Iraq's Religious Minorities Still Under Threat Despite ISIS Defeat

The report urges the UK Government to increase diplomatic efforts supporting the Sinjar Agreement, strengthen accountability for ISIS crimes, maintain engagement with Christian and Yazidi leaders, and support internally displaced persons following USAID withdrawal.

Iraq's federal government is called upon to improve security for Christians in Mosul and Baghdad, disarm militias in Sinjar, excavate mass graves, and formally recognize the genocide committed against minority communities.

The Crusader's Opinion

Iraq's Christians have worshipped in that land since the first century. They were there before Islam existed. They survived the Mongols, the Ottomans, and Saddam. Then ISIS came with genocide, and the world watched. Now a decade later, 350,000 Yazidis are still displaced, 2,500 souls are still missing, and 96 mass graves sit in the dirt waiting to be opened. The West toppled Saddam, shattered Iraq's infrastructure, and then left its oldest Christian communities to fend for themselves against jihadist militias. We broke it. We own it. And yet the best we can muster is another report. Reports do not rebuild churches. Reports do not bring back the dead. If these were mosques being burned in London, the entire United Nations would convene by morning. The double standard is deafening.

Take Action

• Donate to The Shepherd's Shield to support persecuted Christians worldwide.
• Support Aid to the Church in Need UK, co authors of this report, who provide direct aid to Iraqi Christians.
• Give to Open Doors, which ranks Iraq as one of the most dangerous countries for Christians.
• Read the full APPG report at appgfreedomofreligionorbelief.org and share it with your congregation and community leaders.
• Write to your MP or representative urging continued diplomatic pressure on Iraq to protect its Christian minorities and formally recognize the ISIS genocide.