On Tuesday, the United Nations released new frightening statistics on the damage ISIS is doing in Iraq.
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According to their numbers, ISIS holds over 3,500 slaves – most of whom are women and children. These mainly come from minority groups such as the Yazidi.
They also are responsible for the deaths almost 19,000 innocent civilians and the wounding of over 34,000 more!
Francesco Motta of the U.N. said this upon release of the report:
“They use civilians as shields. They use children in armed conflict, they also directly target civilian infrastructure and that can amount to war crimes but they can also constitute crimes against humanity.”
Everyone is aware at how bad ISIS is, but when you see the numbers in black and white, it’s truly jarring.
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From Reuters:
An estimated 3,500 people, mainly women and children, are being held as slaves in Iraq by Islamic State militants, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
The Islamist group, which also controls large parts of Syria, is responsible for acts that may “amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possibly genocide”, particularly against minorities, a report said.
Iraqi security forces and allied groups including Kurdish Peshmerga fighters have also killed and abducted civilians, it said. “Some of these incidents may have been reprisals against persons perceived to support or be associated with ISIL (Islamic State),” it added.
Will these huge numbers turn locals against ISIS? Sound off in the comments below!
