Iraqis Running out of Food, Medicine in Besieged Fallujah

Local Editor

A senior Iraqi official appealed to the US-led coalition to air-drop food and medicine to tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the city of Fallujah in western Anbar province, "ISIS" stronghold under siege by security forces.

The city's population is suffering from a shortage of food, medicine and fuel, according to residents reached by phone, and local media said several people had died due to starvation and insufficient medical care. However, insecurity and poor communications inside the city make such reports difficult to verify.

In the context, Governor of western Anbar province, Sohaib al-Rawi, said an air-drop was the only way to deliver humanitarian supplies to residents after "ISIS" mined the entrances to the city and prevented civilians from leaving.

"No force can enter and secure [the delivery] ... There is no option but for airplanes to transport aid," al-Rawi told a TV channel late Monday, adding the situation was deteriorating by the day.

He further stated that media reports of up to 10 deaths due to starvation and insufficient medical care were accurate, but Iraqi officials could not provide details.

Fallujah, located 50 kilometers west of Baghdad, was the first Iraqi city to fall to "ISIS" in January 2014, six months before the group that emerged from al-Qaeda swept through large parts of northern and western Iraq and neighboring Syria.

Relatively, the US-led coalition estimates there are some 400 "ISIS" militants in Fallujah, though some military analysts put the figure closer to 1,000. The coalition, which includes European and Arab powers, has not previously committed significant resources to humanitarian operations.

For its part, the United Nations appealed on Sunday for $861 million to help Iraq meet a big funding gap in its 2016 emergency response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war against "ISIS" which has left 10 million people in need of urgent aid.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team