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Iraq

Iraq: Mosul Humanitarian Response Situation Report No. 40 (12 to 26 July 2017) [EN/AR/KU]

Attachments

Highlights

  • Almost 1 million people fled from western Mosul and western Ninewa Governorate as of 26 July, surpassing humanitarians’ ‘worst-case’ estimates. Beyond Mosul, sustained efforts are now needed to support more than 700,000 people who lost everything.

  • Protection remains a top priority, especially for minority groups, women and children. The targeting of these groups is a particularly disturbing feature in Ninewa Governorate and in other areas of the country.

  • While the battle for Mosul is declared over, other areas remain under the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant’s (ISIL) control. This means civilians continue to be in danger as induced displacement, mostly from Ba’aj and Telafar, continues.

  • Outside of camps and in Mosul city water issues remain critical. This is mainly due to the logistical challenges caused by the temporary closure of Qayyarah bridge and lack of funding.

Situation Overview

Almost 1 million people fled from Mosul City and Ninewa Governorate as of 26 July, surpassing humanitarians’ ‘worstcase’ estimates. As people continue to flee with no belongings, there is a need for ongoing relief assistance.

Humanitarian partners continue to adjust their response and keep pace as needed – some 3.3 million people, in and out of camps, benefitted from emergency response packages, with most families receiving multiple distributions as their displacement continues and with no access to life-saving essentials.

Beyond Mosul, sustained efforts are now needed to support more than 700,000 people who lost everything. In the coming months, humanitarian partners will aim to ensure their return continues in a safe, voluntary and dignified manner. A high number of improvised explosive devices were found in the rubble in areas of return and the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) will persist with decontamination of houses and tunnels in Mosul’s Old City for at least the next month.

As levels of explosive hazard contamination remain substantial, mine action continues to be crucial to create safe conditions for assistance delivery and enable communities to resume their lives and livelihoods. Some 79,000 people returned to West Mosul and close to 165,900 returned to the eastern side of the city as of 25 July. Overall, around 21,000 people returned to Mosul since the fighting was formally declared over by Iraq’s Prime Minister Al-Abadi on 9 July.

Protection concerns, including access to safety and assistance, persist for people across the city – where pockets of insecurity still exist – and along the Mosul corridor. Active conflict and insecurity remain the key factors negatively impacting on access and humanitarian operations, namely in the ISIL-controlled parts of Ba’aj, Telafar and south of Qayyarah. This means civilians are in danger as induced displacement continues, varying between 200 and 1,300 people per day since 12 July. There is clear evidence that civilians are used as human shields and deliberately targeted by snipers as they attempt to flee.

As of 20 July, the village of Imam Gharbi, south of Mosul, in Qayyarah sub-district, was reported retaken by the ISF after three weeks of fighting and induced displacement. At least 15 families arrived in Qayyarah town, while other families relocated to Jhallale village, near Qayyarah town’s power plant. A further 20 families moved to Al Alam area and others to Tikrit, Salah al-Din Governorate, according to local sources. Over 300 displaced families arrived in Shirqat, Salah al-Din Governorate. All displaced people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. About 200 families remained in the village and there is no available information as to their wellbeing and conditions.

Bartalla camp closed on 17 July, eight days after it opened, due to lack of services. Up to 250 women and girlsheaded households were taken from Maedan area, in Mosul’s Old City, to be protected from retaliation because of suspicion of affiliation with ISIL. Once the camp closed, families were transferred to Hammam al Alil, Jad’ah 6 or within host communities within Ninewa Governorate. Bartalla camp not only showed there is fear of reprisals and retribution for people suspected of ISIL affiliation, but also that much work will be required in the rebuilding of communities and the promotion of social cohesion.
Trauma services continue. Since October 2016, and as of 23 July, close to 18,500 people from Mosul city were referred through the established trauma pathways – over 12,300 reported people, more than 66 per cent, came from western Mosul alone since February. Psychological trauma also remains high, with over 265,500 women, girls, boys and men receiving psychological first aid and psychosocial support since October last year.

Outside of camps and in Mosul city water issues remain critical. Qayyarah bridge closed for maintenance on 20 July and will not be accessible to vehicles for the next several days. The closure of the bridge is specifically impacting on water trucking to Haj Ali camp, in Qayyarah sub-district itself. The bridge is a substitute for the main bridge in the area which was destroyed and mined during the fighting between the ISF and ISIL. A shortfall in funding for water trucking remains a concern as people continue to return to Mosul. Over the past two weeks, the daily provision of water into the city decreased from 6.5 million litres to some 4 million litres, as most neighbourhoods in eastern Mosul now receive water through the city network. Currently, about 3 million litres are delivered by truck to western Mosul, while approximately 506,000 litres are delivered to eastern Mosul.

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