Reconstruction begins in Christian villages freed from Islamic State
May 10, 2017
Christian leaders in Iraq joined in May 8 ceremonies to mark the start of rebuilding in the Nineveh Plains region, where thousands of family homes had destroyed by the Islamic State.
The National Reconstruction Committee—an alliance of Chaldean Catholics, Syriac Catholics, and Syrian Orthodox—celebrated the start of the rebuilding process. As a first step, 100 homes are being rebuilt in the villages of Karemlesh, Bartella, and Qaraqosh. The work is being supported by the international charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
Father Andrzej Halemba, who heads the local office of ACN, explained that the initial effort is only a first step. By starting work on these first three reconstruction sites, we are hoping to send a clear signal to the thousands of Christian families who were driven from their homes,” he said. About 12,000 people who fled the Islamic State offensive have indicated that they hope to return to their homes now that the Islamic State has been pushed back.
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