At Pence's Urging, US Sends Millions in Aid to Persecuted Christians in Iraq

WASHINGTON – Keeping a promise, the Trump administration is increasing assistance to Christians and other religious minorities ravaged by the Islamic State in northern Iraq.

At the urging of Vice President Mike Pence, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) plans to send millions to the Christian and Yazidi communities in that region.

"In Northern Iraq – once home to large communities of Christians and other minorities, many of whom left their homes or fled the country altogether – USAID is committed to creating the conditions so that these communities can return safely to their ancestral lands," said USAID Administrator Mark Green in a statement.

Green plans to travel to Iraq soon to meet with leaders and come up with a plan of action to effectively accelerate and distribute aid to Christians and others in dire need. 

"We have already channeled tens of millions to the region, but we know the need is far greater and that we must do more to meet the urgent needs of these endangered populations – and we will," Green said. 

In support of the Vice President’s directive, the State Department and USAID have redirected $113.5 million in fiscal year 2017, resources specifically designated to assist the persecuted ethnic and religious minorities of the Ninewa Plains region a US official tells CBN News.

"The United States has a proud legacy of standing with vulnerable ethnic and religious minorities," continued Green. "Protecting people's right to choose their own beliefs and culture has been at the core of our nation's values since its founding. Indeed, this is a value I will continue to promote every day around the world as the head of USAID."