Aid to the Church in Need annual report highlights rising violence against Christians worldwide, urges action in crisis regions

KÖNIGSTEIN, Germany — In its latest annual report, international Catholic aid organization Aid to the Church in Need documented an alarming rise in violence and persecution faced by Christians in 18 countries worldwide. The report revealed that 60% of Christians in crisis regions have experienced some form of religious-based violence.

Nicaragua ranks among the highest-risk areas, where Christians have faced arbitrary arrests, murder, church arson, and the abduction and sexual assault of women. The report also highlights ongoing dangers for Christians in the Middle East and parts of Africa, specifically in countries like Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Mozambique, where terrorist organizations target them through forced marriages, religious conversions, and other severe abuses.

Focusing on Iraq and Syria, the report details the brutal impact of the Islamic State (ISIS) on Christian communities, citing widespread displacement and forced migration, which has left parts of the region nearly devoid of Christians. Mar Bashar Matti Warda, Bishop of the Chaldean Church in Erbil, emphasized that Christian communities are still reeling from the atrocities inflicted by ISIS, calling for stronger international support and accountability for the perpetrators of these crimes.

In other troubling findings, the report notes that 85 churches have been attacked in Myanmar, with 10,000 Christians detained in China and more than 720 incidents of violence reported in countries including India and Pakistan.

However, the report also mentions a positive development in Vietnam, where relations between the Vatican and the Vietnamese government have improved, leading to enhanced rights for Christians even under communist rule. The organization calls for a united international response to protect vulnerable Christian communities and uphold religious freedoms worldwide.