Persecution

The West Has Left Them to Die: Assyrian Christians Have No Chance of Survival

Michael Ringer

10 Feb 2026 — 2 min read

Assyrian Christian Population Drops from 1.5 Million to 300,000 as Advocate Warns Community Cannot Survive

Karmella Borashan of the Assyrian International Council delivered a devastating warning at the sixth annual International Religious Freedom Summit: the Assyrian Christian community in the Middle East "does not have a chance of survival."

"The West has repeatedly failed Assyrian Christians in the Middle East, abandoning them to the prominent powers," Borashan said during a panel titled "Voices from Underreported Religious Communities Caught Amid Conflict."

Ancient Assyrian Christian Communities Face Extinction Across the Middle East

he numbers tell the story of a civilization being erased. The Assyrian Christian population has collapsed from 1.5 million to fewer than 300,000.

Across Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan, Christians face systematic persecution, violent attacks, forced conversions, and the vandalization of archaeological sites that preserve thousands of years of Christian heritage. Kamal Fahmi of Set My People Free described the crisis in Sudan, where 14 million people have been displaced, 10 million internally and 4 million externally. Sudan ranks as the 4th worst country for Christian persecution globally. Yemen ranks 3rd.

The Crusader's Opinion

From 1.5 million to 300,000. That is not decline. That is extermination in slow motion. The Assyrian Christians are among the oldest Christian communities on earth. They have survived empires, invasions, and centuries of persecution. But they cannot survive Western indifference. Every time the West intervenes in the Middle East, it forgets the Christians who were there first. We liberated Iraq but abandoned its Christians. We spoke of Syrian freedom but ignored the Cross. Enough. These are our people. Act like it.

Take Action

Donate: Support Open Doors Middle East ministry
Learn: Learn about the Assyrian Christian crisis through International Christian Concern
Share: Share this story. From 1.5 million to 300,000. The world needs to see these numbers.
Pray: Pray for the survival and protection of Assyrian Christians in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan.
Contact: Write to your elected representatives demanding that Middle East policy include protection for indigenous Christian communities.

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