Humanitarian Situation in Iraq Raises Serious Concerns - Moscow

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Humanitarian situation in Iraq raises concerns amid ongoing battles against the Islamic State terrorist group (ISIL or Daesh, banned in Russia), Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.

"Against the background of ongoing clashes, humanitarian situation raises a serious concern. According to the International Organization for Migration over 800,000 people fled Mosul only, with 200,000 being able to return to their homes or at least to what remained following indiscriminate shelling and airstrikes of US-led coalition forces," Zakharova said.

The spokeswoman noted that Iraqi people suffer in particular from food, medicine and fresh water shortages.

Zakharova added that Moscow further supported the Iraqi government in the fight against the Daesh.

In 2014, Daesh captured vast territories in Iraq and Syria declaring the establishment of a caliphate in the seized areas. Mosul has served as the IS headquarters in Iraq since then. The operation to liberate the city began in October 2016. In late January 2017, Iraqi and the US-led coalition forces freed its eastern part.

Last week, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi declared the recapture of Al Nuri Grand Mosque in Mosul an end to the so-called Islamic caliphate, in the lvery locale where the formation of the Daesh was first announced. The coalition forces spokesman Ryan Dillon said the full liberation of Mosul might be only a matter of days.