More than 47,000 people have fled Iraq’s northern city
of Mosul since a major offensive was launched last month to
recapture the Daesh-held city, according to Iraq’s Ministry of
Migration and Displacement.
In a Saturday statement, ministry official Dia Salal said some
3,027 civilians have been relocated from Nineveh province and
Kirkuk city to refugee camps in eastern and southern Mosul.
"The new influx takes to 47,000 the number of people who have
been displaced" since the Mosul operations began, he said.
On Thursday, the UN said that around 45,000 civilians have been
displaced since the anti-Daesh offensive in Mosul began.
On Oct. 18, the Iraqi army -- backed by U.S.-led coalition
airstrikes and local allies on the ground -- launched a
wide-ranging operation aimed at retaking Mosul.
Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul was overrun by Daesh in
mid-2014, along with vast swathes of territory in northern and
western Iraq.
Recent months have seen the Iraqi army and its allies retake
much territory from the terrorist group, especially on Mosul’s
outskirts and in Iraq’s western Anbar province.