Convert, leave, or die: Ethnic cleansing in Iraq

An Iraqi woman, who fled from home with her baby when Islamic State (IS) militants attacked (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images). "We have nothing. We can't leave. ISIS will catch us and kill us if we do." Amnesty International is demanding more aid to help people in Iraq. Your support can help continue our efforts to help protect people fleeing human rights catastrophes in Iraq and around the world. Make an emergency donation. Dear Tracy, "We have nothing. We can't leave. ISIS will catch us and kill us if we do. For god's sake, please help us." These are the desperate words of a man trapped in Kocho, a village near Sinjar Mountain. As ISIS forces advance their brutal sweep across northern and western Iraq, Amnesty International human rights investigator Donatella Rovera is on the ground documenting the horrors people there are experiencing and showing them to the world. Please make a donation to support efforts to document human rights violations and demand aid for civilians in conflict zones like Iraq. Hundreds of people who had been trapped told Donatella that little or no aid had reached them and air-dropped water bottles often broke on impact. Amnesty is demanding that the Iraqi central government, the Kurdish Regional Government and international stakeholders provide safe shelter and humanitarian assistance to men, women and children who have been forced to flee in the face of ferocious brutality. According to Donatella, "ISIS has given minority communities an unambiguous message - convert, leave or die. This is ethnic cleansing." Donatella and other Amnesty experts have been sent to the field to gather stories, photos and videos that document war crimes. We'll share what we learn with the media and pressure the international community to take action to protect displaced people and ensure their humanitarian needs are met. We have a responsibility to the people of Iraq and to civilians in conflict zones throughout the world. Will you help keep our researchers in the field? Donate now. Sincerely, Adotei Akwei Managing Director, Government Relations Amnesty International USA