The Protection Needs of Minorities from Syria and Iraq

The whole population of Syria and Iraq is feeling the toll of the armed conflicts in their countries. The new report "The Protection Needs of Minorities from Syria and Iraq" from Norwegian Church Aid and World Council of Churches highlights the position and role of minorities in the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Northern Iraq.

This report complements the existing information base by improving understanding of the protection needs of religious and ethnic minority groups from Syria and Iraq, including those remaining in these countries and those who have fled to neighbouring countries.

This report is geared towards humanitarian actors, to help them refine and coordinate efforts to provide life-saving assistance and work towards sustainable long-term solutions for all Syrians and Iraqis. Similarly, the report aims to support Syria, Iraq, neighbouring countries and donors in their search for better humanitarian responses, and to inform the most appropriate approaches towards finding durable solutions for displaced minority communities from Syria and Iraq.

Watch the live streamed report launch here:

 

Download the entire report here (pdf) , the entire report in Arabic (PDF) or read each chapter here:

 Executive Summary
Introduction
Chapter 1 – The concept of minorities in Iraq and Syria
Chapter 2 – The social and historical background to conflict in Syria and Iraq
Chapter 3 – The humanitarian contexts in Syria and Iraq
Chapter 4 – Prospects for the future
Chapter 5 – Findings and recommendations
Annex I: The legal protection framework for minorities
Annex II: Religious and cultural sites destroyed by Islamic State in Mosul
Annex III: Overview of focus group discussions
Endnotes