A/HRC/34/53/Add.1 destruction of hundreds of villages and the displacement, killing and disappearance of many thousands. The campaign included the chemical attack on Halabja on 16 March 1988, resulting in the deaths of at least 5,000 people, with a further 7,000 people injured or suffering long-term illness. Under an “Arabization” programme, minorities were expelled from their homes and regions. Some families were reportedly expelled from the country, while others were executed. Minority leaders highlighted that thousands remained missing. A denaturalization process deprived many of Iraqi citizenship, and some disputes over property and funds belonging to minority families have yet to be resolved. Despite steps taken by Governments following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, some of the atrocities that were committed have still not been addressed owing to a lack of effective transitional justice measures and legal redress for the affected communities. 11. In addition, following the invasion of the country in 2003, led by the United States of America resulting in the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, targeted attacks against ethnic and religious communities again escalated and their position remained precarious, or even worsened, as sectarian violence dramatically increased. In 2006-2007, the violence peaked and led to the deaths of tens of thousands, while many thousands fled the country. According to UNHCR, some 30 per cent of the refugees fleeing Iraq belonged to ethnic or religious communities. The extent of the violence against them has perhaps overshadowed ongoing issues of discrimination, marginalization and exclusion that have left those communities among the poorest in Iraq. 12. Displaced from their homes and regions, sometimes multiple times, some communities now feel that they have little option but to look for a brighter future outside Iraq. Several community representatives stated that “there is no future for minorities in this country”. While official figures are lacking, it is evident from national and international sources that the decline in numbers of some ethnic and religious communities since 2003 is dramatic. The Christian population has reportedly declined from 1.4 million people to just 300,000. If such trends continue, it is realistic to predict further significant declines and, possibly, the complete disappearance of some smaller communities from Iraq. Anecdotal evidence, including from interviews conducted in camps for internally displaced Yazidis, suggests that young people in particular are leaving the country in large numbers or may be planning to leave. 13. The Special Rapporteur notes that Shia and Sunni Arabs in some locations also find themselves under threat, displaced, or facing violations of their human rights; these communities must also be provided with protection. While they constitute the majority population groups at the national level, in some regions of Iraq, including the Kurdistan region, they are minorities, who are entitled to protection of their minority rights. ISIL members are predominantly Sunni Muslims; however, Sunnis who do not follow the group’s ideology and extreme doctrine and oppose their crimes and human rights violations are equally at risk, and have been displaced or killed. Nevertheless, they are frequently viewed with suspicion, including by Shia and Kurdish authorities, and have faced discrimination, violence and barriers to their access to safety as well as to their freedom of movement. 14. It is of the upmost importance that a mapping exercise be conducted that would give a better understanding of the demographic composition of Iraq and the trends of displacement and migration, and to have a proper assessment of the socioeconomic conditions of the various ethnic and religious groups. This will enable targeted, necessary humanitarian, human rights and development programmes to be designed. Such mapping should be carried out with the involvement of minority community members. 6