Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

Iraq

Iraq: Mosul Humanitarian Response Situation Report #2 (20-22 October 2016) [EN/AR/KU]

Attachments

Highlights

  • Over 5,000 people are currently displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance. Partners are providing emergency assistance in camps and host communities.

  • Population movements are fluctuating as the front lines move, including people returning to their homes following improved security conditions in the immediate area.

  • Toxic smoke from a sulphur factory close to Qayyarah set alight by armed groups has caused between 600 and 800 people to seek medical assistance.

  • A rapid protection assessment has raised a number of high-risk concerns, including civilian injuries due to military operations and the availability of food and water at mustering sites.

Situation Overview

As of 22 October, the International Organization for Migration recorded 5,070 people displaced by military operations close to Mosul using its emergency tracking matrix (ET). People continue to move south away from the conflict areas towards Qayyarah, and new displacement channels have been recorded towards Debaga camp, south-east of Mosul, and towards Zelikan camp in the east. The majority of displaced people recorded in the ET are sheltering in host communities close to Qayyarah. The situation is fluid, and the numbers of displaced people are fluctuating as the front lines move. On 21 October, the ET recorded 550 families (3,300 people) returning to the town of Al Houd, 50 km south of Mosul, following the cessation of fighting in the immediate area.

Toxic smoke from the sulphur factory north of Qayyarah that was set ablaze on 21 October is causing severe respiratory problems: between 600 and 800 people have fled south to seek medical assistance in clinics in Hajj Ali, Jahalla, Makhmur and Qayyarah. The clinics require specific drugs to treat the respiratory problems, and difficulties have been experienced in transporting oxygen into Qayyarah on account of security clearance issues.

A rapid protection assessment conducted in Qayyarah identified a number of high risk protection concerns, including a large number of civilian injuries due to the military operations. Displaced people also reported that basic provisions including food and water were not made available to them at the mustering sites, and that they were required to have a sponsor to leave the site. The majority of people included in the assessment are now staying in host communities.

Partners are providing emergency assistance to people arriving in sites in and around Qayyarah, and in Debaga and Zelikan camps. As of 22 October, seven camps are ready to receive displaced people, with a total of 10,044 available plots that could house 60,264 people. Access to people in need of assistance close to the front lines is currently a major challenge.

Disclaimer

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.