Iraq: 62,000 civilians displaced since Mosul offensive

By Arif Yusuf and Ali Jawad

BAGHDAD

More than 62,000 civilians have fled their homes amid ongoing military operations to oust Daesh group from the northern city of Mosul, the Iraqi government said.

Diyaa Salal of the Ministry of Displacement and Migration said 62,399 have been displaced since the military launched a major offensive to recapture Mosul from Daesh militants on Oct. 17.

Iyad Rafed, a member or Iraq’s Red Crescent, said the daily rates of refugee exodus have been on the rise.

“More than 3,000 people are currently fleeing their areas per day, compared to 1,500 in past days,” he said.

He linked the rising numbers of displaced Iraqis to the ongoing clashes between Daesh militants and Iraqi forces and the shortage of food and medicines.

On Friday, the Iraqi Red Crescent said more than 79,000 civilians have been displaced since the Mosul offensive began last month.

Once Iraq’s second largest city in terms of population, Mosul -- along with additional swathes of territory in the country’s north and west -- was overrun by Daesh in mid-2014.