Humanitarian partners are rushing to provide emergency assistance to an estimated 35,000 people who have been newly displaced in hard-to-reach areas west of Ramadi.

    Lise Grande, the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator said, "Thousands of people who have been trapped in Heet for months are trying to reach safety. The UN doesn’t have full access and we are very worried that some of the families who are escaping are in areas very close to the front lines. We are worried for their safety." Displaced families are receiving ready-to-eat food, safe drinking water and hygiene kits through the Rapid Response Mechanism, which is managed by UNICEF and the World Food Programme and supported by the UN’s Population Fund, the International Organization for Migration and nine non-governmental organizations.

Health assistance is being provided by the World Health Organization, which has dispatched two mobile health clinics and two medical teams. "You can tell how difficult conditions are in Heet by how many people are seeking urgent health assistance. The mobile clinics dealt with 1,300 consultations during just their first two days." The United Nations and partners have requested US$861 million for 2016 to provide emergency relief to 7.3 million vulnerable Iraqis. Only 9 per cent, $75 million, has been received so far. 

Source : QNA