ReliefWeb

Highlights

• Military operations to re-take western parts of Mosul city started on 19 February 2017. The UN estimates that around 750,000 civilians are still residing in the western section of the city. Humanitarian actors are deeply concerned about the situation of civilians, including 412,000 children.

• Since 19 February, more than 31,500 people (14,800 children) are newlydisplaced from West Mosul. The majority of people have been directed into new IDP camps in south Ninewa.

• Since 17 October 2016, UNICEF has supported the delivery of multi-sectoral emergency response packages for 851,220 individuals (142,847 families) in retaken communities in northern Ninewa, including water treatment tablets, high energy biscuits and hygiene items for adults and babies.

• In February, RRM consortium partners reached 79,721 vulnerable people on the move including 37,469 children across six governorates including Ninewa.

• UNICEF-supported water trucking of up to 3.6 million litres of daily water ensured continued supply of safe water for East Mosul and the UNICEF supported camps in Dahuk, Erbil, and Ninewa

• 320 schools have reopened in eastern Mosul allowing 258,000 children to return to school. In February, UNICEF provided learning materials including science and maths kits to 87 of the East Mosul schools, reaching 73,780 children (31,890 girls)

Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs

Military operations to re-take the western parts of Mosul city started on 19 February 2017. The UN estimates that around 750,000 civilians are still in the western section of the city. Humanitarian actors are deeply concerned about the situation of civilians, including an estimated 412,000 children, as reports are received of people being dependent on untreated water from wells for drinking and cooking, of increasing prices for basic food items including flour and oil, and of attacks by armed groups on schools. In camps and sites run by humanitarian partners, efforts are being redoubled to ensure that expansion to house people displaced from western Mosul is matched with installation of basic services. Since 17 October 2016, cumulatively 42,618 families (255,708 individuals) have been displaced as a result of military operations, of whom 31,971 families (191,826 individuals) remain displaced. Of these, approximately 80 per cent are reported as hosted in emergency camps (62 per cent, or 35,160 individuals) and transit sites (18 per cent, or 35,160 individuals). Displacement increases sharply with each intensification of conflict – between 09 February and 02 March 38,904 individuals were reported as newly displaced and the current daily average of displacement from western Mosul is around 4,000 people per day . The picture of primary and secondary displacement remains complex, in addition to ongoing returns to areas now behind front lines (reportedly 10,647 families or 63,882 individuals). However newly-retaken areas often lack infrastructure or basic services, and the risks of civilians being injured by unexploded ordnance remain high. A total of 246,649 Iraqis are registered as refugees in neighbouring countries, with 13,768 Iraqis received in Al Hol camp in Syria since 17 October. There remain over 230,000 Syrian refugees in Iraq, the majority of whom (97 per cent) are hosted in the three northern governorates of the Kurdistan Region.

Humanitarian leadership and coordination

UNICEF leads the WASH Cluster, co-leads the Education cluster with Save the Children International, leads the Child Protection sub-cluster and Nutrition working group, and is an active member of the Health cluster. UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) co-lead the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) Consortium, whose partners include the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and seven NGOs. UNICEF, WFP, and UNFPA are delivering rapid multi-sector humanitarian assistance in newly-retaken areas of Mosul.

Humanitarian Strategy

Strategic priorities under the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) are to: reach as many people in need as possible across Iraq by securing safe access to front-line and newly retaken areas; facilitate and advocate for voluntary, safe, and dignified returns; give options to families to live in Iraq in dignity by expanding resilience and social cohesion programmes; and help people brutalized by violence recover by providing specialized protection assistance.