Al-ZAHRA, Mosul-- Convoys of food, medicine and toys have arrived in the recaptured neighborhood of Al-Zahra in Mosul's southern outskirts where residents have suffered from acute shortage of food for weeks since the operation against ISIS militants started over a month ago.
Aid workers were met by desperate crowds in need of basic necessities for their families including milk for the infants, Rudaw correspondent Ranja Jamal said.
"It seems more like a large demonstration march with thousands of people, men and women, lining up in the streets waiting for their rations," Jamal said.
Stores and groceries in Mosul have been closed since early October, well before the offensive started to retake a city that has virtually been under siege for the past two years.
As the operation began, aid convoys were postponed several times due to booby-trapped roads and ISIS sniper attacks.
Iraq's migration minister told Rudaw earlier that relief efforts had been prepared in advance to deliver aid more efficiently with buses ready to transfer the fleeing residents to refugee camps.
But the majority of residents appear to have decided to stay indoors, not abandoning their homes.
To avoid panik and disarray in distribution, aid workers told Rudaw they had registered the households in nearly all liberated districts south and east of Mosul in advance, but the arrival of thousands of other desperate families from neighborhoods still in ISIS control had disturbed their planning.
"Thanks God, we have now received our ration, we are fine now, very fine now," said the joyful Habiba Mustafa, a middle aged woman, after receiving a large package containing food, candy and toys. "Thanks God, this will be enough for our family," she told Rudaw, showing off a big smile as she left the distribution convoys.
Official estimates put the number of people still living in Mosul at around one million, with the majority of them in central parts of the city where ISIS militants still appear to be in full control.
Many families have told Rudaw that residents preferred to stay in the war-torn city over leaving for nearby refugee camps, fearing looting and destruction of their properties by the militants if they fled their homes.
The ISIS has demolished entire residential areas in other cities, including in Anbar province and Golala, after families their homes.
Aid workers were met by desperate crowds in need of basic necessities for their families including milk for the infants, Rudaw correspondent Ranja Jamal said.
"It seems more like a large demonstration march with thousands of people, men and women, lining up in the streets waiting for their rations," Jamal said.
Stores and groceries in Mosul have been closed since early October, well before the offensive started to retake a city that has virtually been under siege for the past two years.
As the operation began, aid convoys were postponed several times due to booby-trapped roads and ISIS sniper attacks.
Iraq's migration minister told Rudaw earlier that relief efforts had been prepared in advance to deliver aid more efficiently with buses ready to transfer the fleeing residents to refugee camps.
But the majority of residents appear to have decided to stay indoors, not abandoning their homes.
To avoid panik and disarray in distribution, aid workers told Rudaw they had registered the households in nearly all liberated districts south and east of Mosul in advance, but the arrival of thousands of other desperate families from neighborhoods still in ISIS control had disturbed their planning.
"Thanks God, we have now received our ration, we are fine now, very fine now," said the joyful Habiba Mustafa, a middle aged woman, after receiving a large package containing food, candy and toys. "Thanks God, this will be enough for our family," she told Rudaw, showing off a big smile as she left the distribution convoys.
Official estimates put the number of people still living in Mosul at around one million, with the majority of them in central parts of the city where ISIS militants still appear to be in full control.
Many families have told Rudaw that residents preferred to stay in the war-torn city over leaving for nearby refugee camps, fearing looting and destruction of their properties by the militants if they fled their homes.
The ISIS has demolished entire residential areas in other cities, including in Anbar province and Golala, after families their homes.
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