Christians in Mosul and Nineveh Plain in 2005 Based on their Ethnicity

By Chaldean Patriarchate

The following information provides some details about the liberated towns in Nineveh Plain:

Towns liberated by Iraqi forces: Qaraqosh, Karamleis, Bartella and Tilkeif.
Towns liberated by Peshmarga forces: Ba’shiqa, Bahzani, Telluskof, Baqofa and Batnaya.

According to the census of 1987, Christians in Iraq were 1,264,000; while they are less than 500.000 today.

In Mosul and Nineveh Plain before the occupation of ISIS, Christians were about 130.000. Currently, they are about 90.000 out of which 40,000 have left already due to persecution and displacement.

Distribution of ethnic groups in Mosul and Nineveh Plain:

Mosul : Chaldeans, Syriacs, few Assyriens and  Armenians, Kurds, Turkman, Shabak , Arab Shiiat  and majority Sunni Muslims.

Qaraqosh -Bakhdeda: Syriacs (who has Mar Behnam Monastery in Nemrud), and minority Muslims (Arab & Shaback).
Karmaleis: Chaldeans
Bartella: Syriacs and minority Muslims (Arab & Shaback)
Ba'shiqah: Syriacs, Yazidis and minority Muslims (Arab & Shaback).
Bahzany: Syriacs,Yazidis and minority Muslims (Arab & Shaback).).
Merghe: Syriacs.
Tilkeif: Chaldeans, few displaced Assyrians and Sunni Arabs
Batnaya: Chaldeans
Mar Oraha: Chaldeans
Baqofah: Chaldeans
Telluskof: Chaldeans
Sharafyia: Assyrians, Chaldeans
Alqosh: Chaldeans
Bandwaya: Chaldeans
Ain Sifni: Chaldeans, Assyrians, Yazidis and Sunnis.
Agajnaan Village near Karamless: Established in 2007 for 20  Armenian families displaced from Mosul

 

Urgent needs: Examine the remnants of destruction in order to show its long-term impact on public health in addition to removing the debris and mines. Provide electricity and water, repair roads, as well as refurbishing or building hospitals, schools and places of worship.

 

Restoration of the Houses: Every house needs up to three thousand dollars in addition to what the local church (e.g. the Chaldean Patriarchate gave, so far, more than 500.000 ID for this purpose) and the Iraqi Government provides. These amounts of money should be used for renovating homes (e.g. repairing doors, windows, painting etc.), it could be used also for purchasing electrical equipment and furniture.

 

Those, whose homes are completely destroyed and robbed, need a well – designed modern village with a strong infrastructure and the required facilities (e.g. schools, marketing center, a community center etc.).

Specialized committees in each town, will be responsible to receive complains. For Example, the Chaldean league will collaborate with the Chaldean Churches in each town to make sure that the required documents are original.  

 

According to this financial support, the subsidy for rents and food aids will stop to encourage people returning to their homes.

80 percent of the Chaldeans have assured their return to Nineveh Plain.

 

Security: It is necessary to keep some of the forces who contributed to liberation of these towns, supported by Christian guards. In addition, it is more important to have international observers in these areas, such as UN and European Union, similar to what we have in Baghdad and Erbil.