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Total figure of displaced civilians from western Mosul reaches 400,000: Minister

 Total figure of displaced  civilians from western Mosul reaches 400,000: Minister

Displaced Iraqis wait to enter Hamam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq March 10, 2017. Picture taken March 10, 2017. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem

Displaced Iraqis wait to enter Hamam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq March 10, 2017. Picture taken March 10, 2017. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
Mosul (IraqiNews.com) The total number of civilians displaced from western Mosul has reached 400,000 since an offensive was launched to drive Islamic State militants out in February, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement.

The displaced families were sheltered at camps allocated by the ministry in south and east of Mosul, Minister Jassem al-Jaff said in a statement on Thursday, praising efforts by army to protect civilians and provide them with safe shelters.

130,000 civilians returned back to the freed regions in eastern Mosul and southern regions in Nineveh province, the minister he added. The figure marks an increase of 100,000 persons, up from 120,000, earlier in April.

A release issued earlier this month by United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Iraq Lise Grande’s office said, ““Our worst case scenario when the fighting started was that up to one million civilians may flee Mosul. Already, more than 493,000 people have left, leaving almost everything behind.”

In a telephone interview with Reuters later, Grande said “We could be facing a humanitarian catastrophe, perhaps the worst in the entire conflict.”

More than 400.000 were displaced due to the conflict in Mosul since operations were launched in October. Over four million persons were displaced inside the country since emergence of IS in 2014.

Iraqi troops, backed by U.S.-led coalition and paramilitary troops, retook eastern Mosul from Islamic State in January, after three months of battles. A new offensive was launched in February to retake the western side.

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