During Saddam’s reign, Metti’s* brother was killed. He lived in Mosul but was working as a doctor in Ambar Province, a vast desert territory in the West of Iraq. Anbar is where ISIS later launched itself upon the world and is still considered to be a staging post for the group. The details around Metti’s brother’s murder remain a mystery but it has had a lasting impact on the family.

The pension that Metti’s brother had accrued as a doctor was never paid to the family. At that time, Saddam had cut health funding in Iraq by 90%. Thousands of medical professional were not properly paid for their work. As the main breadwinner, Metti’s brother had been able to provide some financial assistance but the family was never compensated for his death.

Further hardship befell Metti and her family when her father was forced to sell the family home. After the invasion of Iraq in 2003, which saw an increase in Islamist extremism in the north of the country, Metti and members of her family fled south to Baghdad. There they were taken in by St George’s Church. Of the help she receives there, Metti had this to say:

“St George’s provides us with food packages. Fr Faez helps us as much as possible. One day I would love to live in a house again. I hope to live in peace and safety. As Christians we have suffered persecution in Iraq. But I do not make a distinction between Christian and Muslim. Most of us just want to live in peace and be safe.”

Through our partnership with St George’s, we are feeding some of the poorest of Iraq’s internally displaced Christians. Our Family Relief Project at the church continues to feed 10 Christian families every month. These include widows, orphans and people with disabilities.  

*Some names changed for security reasons.