UN prepares to care for Mosul displaced people
NEW YORK: UN humanitarian agencies operating in Iraq are bracing for what could be a displacement catastrophe requiring the largest and most complex global response this year.
The preparation follows the military offensive under way by Iraqi and Kurdish forces, backed by the US military, to oust Islamic State militants from Mosul, the country’s second-largest city.
“Displacement is expected to start any minute now,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
According to OCHA and other agencies, up to 1million people may be forced from their homes due to the military operation against IS, of which 700000 may be in need of shelter assistance and up to 200 000 may be displaced within the first two weeks of the operation.
UN relief officials described the situation as having the potential to be one of the worst-case scenarios requiring the largest and most complex humanitarian operation in the world this year, or a catastrophe resulting in one of the largest manmade displacement crises in recent years.
“Protection concerns for all those civilians are at the forefront of the preparations of the humanitarian community, and there are already protection monitoring teams on the ground,” Laerke said.
He said preparations for the offensive had been going on for several months and the UN had focused on preparing shelter in three priority areas south of Mosul, where the first displaced families were expected to be accommodated.
More reception sites are under construction. Supplies including food, water and sanitation and household kits have been stockpiled in preparation.
All this has been done with the collaboration of non-governmental organisations, he added.
“The UN has prepared as efficiently as possible with the available resources. The appeal is asking for $367 million (R5.1 billion, but it is not fully funded,” he said. – ANA