Washington D.C., Oct 12, 2018 / 10:00 am
The Knights of Columbus have signed an agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to cooperate in assisting religious minorities in the Middle East rebuild their communities following the persecution and genocide of the Islamic State.
The joint effort was agreed in a memorandum of understanding announced Oct. 12 and will begin in Iraq, before being rolled out throughout the region.
Andrew Walther, Vice President for Strategic Communications for the Knights of Columbus, said that the agreement was an important advance in helping the Christian communities who had suffered under IS.
"This memorandum is important in itself," he told CNA. "But it is also illustrative of a wider engagement with, commitment to, and prioritization of persecuted communities in the region by USAID - not only Christians but Yazidis, Shi'a Muslims and others."