United Nations: 400,000 People Trapped in Western Mosul

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced on Thursday, April 3, that as the war between Iraqi forces and ISIS militants continues, approximately 400,000 civilians are trapped in the western neighborhoods of Mosul and are facing shortages of food and other basic necessities. According to Reuters, many people are unwilling to leave these neighborhoods due to fear of ISIS snipers and explosive traps. However, according to Bruno Geddo, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, about 157,000 people have reached transit and reception centers for refugees since the Iraqi forces began operations in western Mosul a month ago. He added, "We are still expecting conditions to worsen because 400,000 people are trapped in western Mosul, and fear and hunger may confront us with a large wave of refugees at any moment." ISIS militants in Mosul are currently facing defeat and retreat, and cities and key areas under their control in Syria are also being attacked. It is estimated that this group still holds 40 percent of western Mosul, and military operations to reclaim these areas may continue for weeks. Iraqi forces halted their operations on Thursday morning, April 3, due to cloudy weather that complicated air support for the operations. According to a police spokesperson, later that day, police forces prepared for another assault on the old city center. He added, "Dozens of ISIS snipers are stationed on the rooftops of buildings in the old city center, which poses a danger to our soldiers. We are waiting for the weather to improve so that airstrikes can weaken their positions and facilitate our advance." The UN High Commissioner for Refugees stated in a press conference in Hammam al-Alil, located 20 kilometers south of Mosul, that the number of civilians leaving Mosul is increasing, with an average of 8,000 to 12,000 people arriving daily at centers established for refugees. Food, fuel, and electricity have become severely scarce in Mosul. He added, "People have started burning furniture, old clothes, plastic, and anything else they can find to keep warm at night, as it is still raining, and especially at night, temperatures drop significantly." "The longer people remain without food and other basic necessities, the more their feelings of fear and anxiety will intensify, and their willingness to flee will increase. At the same time, the number of those leaving the city is rising as Iraqi forces advance, reducing the danger for more people to exit the city." The operation to retake Mosul has entered its sixth month, and Iraqi forces, with air support from the US-led international coalition and military advisory assistance from the US, now control the eastern part and more than half of the western part of the city. It is reported that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other ISIS leaders have left the city, but the group's forces continue to attack Iraqi troops using long-range gunfire, hiding among civilians, using vehicles laden with explosives, and employing suicide bombers. US military officials estimate that about 2,000 of the group's forces remain inside Mosul.