UN relief wing concerned for safety of civilians in Iraq's Mosul city

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to be concerned over the safety and well-being of civilians remaining in western Mosul in northern Iraq, a UN spokesman said here Wednesday.

OCHA estimate that 275,000 people remain in the Mosul areas that are still under the control of Da'esh, also known as the Islamic State (IS), UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

"The high protection risks to people in the conflict zone and those trying to leave it are reflected in rising casualty rates," the spokesman said.

From the start of the operations around Mosul in last October to this month, 12,300 people have been transferred to hospitals for trauma injuries, he noted.

"These figures reflect only those who were able to access assistance, and so should be considered a minimum," Dujarric said.

Mosul, 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014. Last February, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the offensive to drive the extremist militants out of the western side of th city. The conflict is still going on in the areas between the government forces and the IS militants. Enditem