Relief groups this week rushed to deliver aid to Iraqis fleeing the sectarian violence that has gripped their country. An estimated 1.5 million people, including some Christians, have been displaced so far by the Islamist Sunni insurgency. The UN agency UNICEF gave the situation in Iraq its most severe disaster grade, level 3—the same as the crisis in Syria. This week President Obama said American combat troops are not going to be fighting in Iraq again, but that the US is sending up to 300 military advisers.

President Obama: “There’s no military solution inside of Iraq, certainly not one that is led by the United States. But there is an urgent need for an inclusive political process, a more capable Iraqi security force, and counterterrorism efforts that deny groups like ISIL a safe haven.”