Britain's Prince Charles has voiced his support for Christians currently living in the Middle East.
Prince Charles
Political unrest is rife across the region at present and Charles has expressed sympathy for those whose lives have been affected by the ongoing troubles.
He said: "Their suffering is symptomatic of a very real crisis which threatens the very existence of Christianity in the land of its birth.
"In fact according to Aid to the Church in Need, which is a truly remarkable organisation, Christianity is on course to disappear from Iraq within five years unless emergency help is provided on a greatly increased scale at an international level."
Charles said something must be done to ensure the "cultural heritage of Christianity" in the region is maintained.
He explained: "This affects us all, consequently the greatest challenge we face is how to ensure the spiritual and cultural heritage of Christianity in the Middle East is preserved for future generations."
There are thought to be around 250,000 Christians still living in Iraq, although around 100,000 of these have been displaced due to a combination of fighting and the threat posed by terrorist groups.
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