Iraq: Humanitarian Bulletin, January 2017 | Issued on 20 February [EN/AR/KU]

HIGHLIGHTS

• 750,000 people trapped in west Mosul in deteriorating conditions.

• Tens of thousands return home to east Mosul.

• 23,000 children resume education in east Mosul.

• Explosive hazards continue to pose risks in returnee communities.

FIGURES

# of people in need 11m

# of people targeted for assistance 6.2m

# of internally displaced persons (IDPs) 3m

# of IDPs who live outside camps 2.5m

# of affected ppl within host communities 3.2m # of returnees 1.5m

# of Syrian refugees 0.23m

Source: 2016 Iraq HRP/HNO/IOM DTM

Humanitarian Response Plan

FUNDING

861 million requested for 2016 (US$) 84% ($719 million) (reflects funding on FTS as of 20 February 2017)

Source: http://fts.unocha.org

750,000 civilians potentially still in western Mosul city

The humanitarian community is extremely concerned for the wellbeing of the roughly 750,000 people believed to be still living in western Mosul. It is of the utmost importance that all parties to the conflict uphold their responsibility under international law to protect civilians in context of the military operation to retake this part of the city.* The Iraqi government and humanitarian partners are preparing for a variety of possible scenarios that could unfold in the operation, including assisting people displaced by the fighting and people sheltering in situ.
Western Mosul has been cut off from its previous supply routes, including the highway from Mosul into Syria, since late November, and conditions are understood to be deteriorating as available food and fuel supplies continue to dwindle, with residents resorting to burning furniture and rubbish to keep warm.

• The military operation on western Mosul commenced at time of publication. A flash update on the situation is available here: https://goo.gl/7YrnOv