UN estimates 750,000 civilians still living under IS rule in Mosul

PanARMENIAN.Net - The UN and several aid organizations say an estimated 750,000 civilians are still living under Islamic State rule in Mosul despite recent advances by Iraqi forces, The Associated Press reports.

Lise Grande, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, said in a statement Tuesday, January 24 that the cost of food and basic goods is soaring, water and electricity are intermittent and that some residents are forced to burn furniture to keep warm.

The statement was co-signed by 20 international and local aid groups operating in the country.

Iraqi forces announced the liberation of eastern Mosul earlier this month as part of a three-month-old offensive aimed at driving the militants out of Iraq's second largest city. The UN migration agency says the Mosul operation has displaced more than 140,000 people.