Health Minister: Number of Syrian refugees in Iraq at 200.000
Syrian refugee children. File Photo.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The number of Syrian refugees in Iraq has reached 200.000, according to Iraqi Minister of Health, Adila Hammoud, who said those are included in services provided to the country’s internally-displaced population.
Hammoud made the revelation during a meeting by Arab health ministers in Geneva on Sunday, which was aired by the state TV.
She said Iraqi continues to face major challenges, especially in the healthcare field as Islamic State members had destroyed the sector’s infrastructure such as hospitals and medical units that were under his command.
She said, however, that her country, assisted the World Health Organization, had
managed to control infectious diseases among refugees.
The United Nations said last week that refugees displaced by battles between security forces and IS exceeded 630.000 since the start of military operations in October. The Iraqi government put the number at at least 670.000, and said 150.000 people had, meanwhile, returned to their home areas.
Islamic State has faced accusations by the U.N., the Iraqi government and aid agencies of using civilians as human shields. Anxiousness for civilians’ lives had been a major reason behind occasional slowdowns of security operations, but dozens have, however, been killed in operations by Iraqi forces and the allied U.S.-led coalition.
Iraqi commanders have said they predict Mosul to be fully liberated from militants before the holy month of Ramadan, which starts May 27th, and said they control 90 percent of the western side of the city.