Many people have been reading about terror in Iraq for so long that the idea has lost its power, but the destruction has escalated far beyond normal levels. The United Nations reports that 2.8 million people in Iraq currently need food, and 800,000 urgently need shelter. The U.N. has enough resources to assist about 40 percent of those in need.
Christians are a particular target of the chaos, and more than 90 percent of Orthodox Christians in Iraq have been displaced over the past generation.
In an effort to help, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey—TV’s power couple behind The Voice, The Bible miniseries and Survivor—have started what they’re calling The Cradle of Christianity Fund. They aim to raise $25 million for displaced Christians, and they gave $1 million to get it started. The plan, according to Burnett and Downey, is to “rescue, restore and return” Christians to their homes in Iraq.
