Highlights
• The week from 27 February to 5 March 2017 saw approximately 42,000 people displaced; the highest continuous displacement since the Mosul crisis began on 17 October 2016, with 13,350 people displaced on 3 March alone. The vast majority of displacements this week were due to military operations in west Mosul, which resumed on 19 February.
• Camp construction and site expansion, and the installation of water and sanitation services, is rapidly accelerating in camps south of Mosul city. All people displaced from western Mosul have been accommodated either with family members or in camps or emergency sites, where they receive a tented plot, basic household supplies, hygiene kits, and 30-day food rations. Over 11,400 camp plots are available east and north of Mosul city.
• Trauma casualty rates in Mosul are high. Since the military operation in western Mosul began on 19 February, over 500 people have been treated at Trauma Stabilization Points for conflictrelated injuries. Fifteen people have been referred to Erbil’s hospitals for treatment following the alleged use of chemical weapons in eastern Mosul city.
• Significant shortages of drinking water continue to be a major humanitarian concern in eastern Mosul city. Civilians in many neighbourhoods in the southern and western parts of western Mosul city also have no access to the public network and are accessing untreated drinking water. The re-establishment of a functioning city-wide water network is a key priority.
Situation Overview
The week from 27 February to 5 March 2017 saw approximately 42,000 people displaced; the highest continuous displacement since the Mosul crisis began on 17 October 2016, with 13,350 people displaced on 3 March alone.
The vast majority of displacements this week were due to military operations between the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which resumed in western Mosul on 19 February. Since military operations in western Mosul began, as of 5 March approximately 45,710 people have been displaced, according to IOM.
Between 17 October 2016 and 5 March 2017, accumulatively 270,780 people have been displaced across Mosul, of whom 64,260 people have returned to their areas of origin, according to IOM. Currently, there are approximately 206,520 people living in displacement as a result of the Mosul humanitarian crisis, the highest number of people living in displacement since hostilities began.
Displaced people from western Mosul have predominantly moved from neighbourhoods on the outskirts of the city to Hammam al Alil, where security screening is undertaken. Food and water are distributed to all people passing through the screening site. Following screening, people have been relocated to the new emergency site in Hammam al Alil, emergency sites in Hajj Ali and Qayyarah Airstrip, to Jad’ah, Khazer and Hasansham camps.
Jad’ah camp and the Qayyarah Airstrip and Hajj Ali emergency sites are now full. Camp construction and site expansion, and the installation of water and sanitation services, is rapidly accelerating in camps south of Mosul city.
Almost all people displaced from western Mosul have been accommodated in camps or emergency sites, where they receive a tented plot, basic household supplies, hygiene kits, and 30-day food rations. A small number of newly displaced people have opted to live with friends and family members in the host community. As of 5 March, some 11,530 fully-serviced plots to accommodate approximately 70,000 people are available in areas to the east and north of Mosul city.
Serious concerns remain for the protection of approximately 750,000-800,000 civilians who, prior to the conflict, were estimated to be living in the west of the city, where food, medicine, basic household commodities and fuel are running low. Given the narrow streets and high population density in western Mosul city, civilians are at great risk of being caught in crossfire, and infrastructure is likely to sustain damage. Clean drinking water is also in very short supply in western Mosul, with only some neighbourhoods in the north and northeast of western Mosul city apparently receiving water through the public network for several hours every few days. Significant shortages of drinking water also remain a priority humanitarian concern in eastern Mosul city.
Humanitarian partners have been trucking 2,300m³ of water to approximately 28 neighbourhoods since late January, supplementing municipal water supplies. UNICEF will install this week a new generator at the Al Sahroon water treatment plant (WTP), which was hit by indirect fire on 19 February rendering the plant inoperable. The Al Sahroon WTP was supplying 70,000 residents with piped drinking water. The re-establishment of a functioning citywide water network is a key priority.
Trauma casualty rates across Mosul are high. Since the military operation in western Mosul began on 19 February, over 500 people have been treated at Trauma Stabilization Points for conflict-related injuries. Some 15 people have also been referred from eastern Mosul city for treatment in Erbil’s hospitals for injuries due to skin burns, blistering, and respiratory issues, allegedly due to the use of chemical weapons. The Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq has asked that immediate access is granted for the appropriate parties to investigate the circumstances of the alleged attack, which if confirmed would violate international law.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.