ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Some 3.3 million people – equal to almost 10 per cent of the population of Iraq – have been uprooted by fighting since the start of 2014, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said.
It also estimated that an offensive to liberate the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State (ISIS) – anticipated to begin next month – will displace another 1 million Iraqis.
“Those currently fleeing Mosul and its surrounding areas join around half-a-million people who fled the city in June 2014, after a week of heavy fighting,” the UNHCR said.
“UNHCR estimates that more than 1 million people could become displaced as Iraqi forces seek to retake Mosul,” it added.
As Iraqi forces liberated Shirgat and Qayyara from ISIS in recent weeks, at least 150,000 people have already fled those Iraqi towns near Mosul, the UNHCR said.
“UNHCR estimates that more than 1 million people could become displaced as the operation pursues its goal of retaking the city,” it added.
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