Iraq: 1 million people could be forced to flee homes
The International Committee of the Red Cross believes that up to a million more people could be forced to flee their homes in Iraq in the coming weeks and months, posing a massive humanitarian problem for the country.
More than ten million people are already in need of assistance in the country. More than three million people are already internally displaced. If there is the predicted upsurge in violence, then the figure of internally displaced could dramatically increase.
"The situation is unpredictable but we must prepare for the worst. There's the likelihood that fighting will intensify, particularly in the Mosul area. Hundreds of thousands of people may very well be on the move in the coming weeks and months, seeking shelter and assistance. We need to be ready," said the ICRC's Regional Director for the Near and Middle East, Robert Mardini.
Hundreds of families have fled to Tikrit, over 100 kilometres from Shirqat in search of refuge. Iraqi Red Crescent Society are providing assistance to these families in the form of much-needed water and food, including thousands of loaves of bread, as well as health and psychosocial support.