Canadian authorities announced Thursday that they will take in over 10,000 Iraqi and Syrian refugees fleeing persecution from the Islamic State (IS).

The decision is in response to a plea for help from the United Nations, which asked countries to open their doors to the displaced civilians.

Canada will accept 10,000 Syrians and 3,000 Iraqis over the next three years. The country's immigration minister, Chris Alexander, said that much more help is needed.

"Syrians and Iraqis face the worst forms of violence in the world today," he said in a statement condemning IS and its "murderous rampage across Syria and Iraq and (its) systematic killing of anyone who does not adhere to their distorted version of Islam".

According to the UNHCR, 13.6 million people have been driven from their homes because of the violence in Iraq and Syria.

Nineveh, Iraq suffered the heaviest population loss, with a reported 940,000 people fleeing the ancient city. Anbar experienced the second largest loss with over 540,000 displaced.

AFP reported that since 2009, Canada has taken in 20,000 Iraqi refugees, and has resettled over 1,000 Syrian refugees since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

Thousands of religious minorities in Iraq and Syria have been persecuted, raped, and killed by the terrorist group in the three years since the US withdrew from the region. 

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported last month that IS has killed 1,878 people in Syria over the past six months, including 1,175 civilians.

Thousands more have been killed in Iraq. Those that have not fled are often unable to leave due to their age, health, or lack of resources.