Mosul offensive toward the final stage. UN: 250 thousand in could escape from the west

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees spokesman expresses fears of mass emigration. At least 66 thousand people flock to the refugee camps. The agency operates seven camps and is building two more. Additional concerns for those fleeing from Hawija district: "They risk is of being kidnapped or blown up on mine."

Baghdad (AsiaNews) - While the government offensive against Islamic State militants in Mosul is heading towards the final phase, the UN warns that 250 thousand inhabitants in the western part could flee the city. Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that the international agency and other organizations are urgently preparing "to respond to a possible significant increase in Iraqi refugees, fleeing from the last stage offensive "against fighters of the Caliphate in the west of Mosul.

The spokesman said that if the advance of coalition troops, composed of army and Kurdish Peshmerga, were to be accelerated, "at least 250 thousand people would pour into the streets", considering that about 750 thousand people live in Iraq's second largest city.

The refugees would be in addition to approximately 161 thousand people who have already left homes and properties since October 2016, when the offensive began. While many look forward to the return of the moment, as recounted to AsiaNews by Fr. Samir Youssef, pastor of the diocese of Amadiya (Kurdistan), many people are still trapped in the city. "We are very concerned for their welfare," said the UN representative.

The reconquest of the eastern part of Mosul has generated fierce fighting, which also brought to light the atrocities committed by the fundamentalists against the civilian population. According to the spokesman, the new battle in the western part will be even more "lethal."

Saltmarsh reports that most of the displaced refugees from Mosul, about 83% of the total, live in camps and emergency centers. The UNHCR operates seven camps, which is home to around 66 thousand people, and two more are under construction. By the end of March, the agency hopes to expand accommodation facilities to shelter at least 246,930 people.

Finally, the UN envoy warns that the flow of inhabitants fleeing from Hawija district to escape the Isis deportations is incessant. To date "more than 82 thousand people fled to the eastern parts of Salah al-Din and Kirkuk, but the number could soon rise to 114 thousand. Those who are abandoning Hawija run serious risks, including the risk of becoming victims of rape or blown up on mines left by the militants. "