As troops across Iraq prepare for the long-awaited battle for Mosul, archaeologists are preparing for the aftermath. Experts with the British Museum are giving Iraqi archaeologists top level training to prepare them for the destruction left by Islamic State. Sebastian Meyer reports from Rania, in northern Iraq.
In the past six weeks, tens of thousands of Iraqi Christians have been forced to flee their homes by Islamic State militants and find shelter in churches in the Kurdish capital, Irbil. Despite U.S. airstrikes in the region, the prospect of people returning home is still very low and concerns are starting to grow over the impact this is having on the displaced youth. Sebastian Meyer reports from Irbil on how one church is coping.
Over the past few weeks, hundreds of Shi'ite Turkmen have fled the town of Amerli seeking refuge in the northern city of Kirkuk. Despite recent military gains after U.S. airstrikes that were coordinated with Iraqi and Kurdish forces, the situation remains dire for Amerli's residents. Sebastian Meyer went to Kirkuk for VOA to speak to those who managed to escape.