United Nations Nations Unies

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Press Release

UN Expresses Profound Concern about Terrible Loss of Life in

Western Mosul

The United Nations is profoundly concerned by reports yesterday of a high

number of civilian casualties in Al Aghawat Al Jadidah, a densely
populated neighborhood in Mosul. Initial reports indicate hundreds of
causalities.

We are stunned by this terrible loss of life and wish to express our deepest
condolences to the many families who have reportedly been impacted by
this tragedy, said Ms. Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for
Iraq.

Nothing in this conflict is more important than protecting civilians, said

Ms. Grande. International humanitarian law is clear. Parties to the
conflict all parties are obliged to do everything possible to protect
civilians. This means that combatants cannot use people as human shields
and cannot imperil lives through indiscriminate use of fire-power.

As the fighting to retake Mosul intensifies, civilians are being put at

extreme risk. We fear for the families who are caught in the conflict, said
Ms. Grande. Everything must be done to avoid civilian casualties.

For further information, please contact:

Iyad Nasr, Public Information Officer, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
in Iraq, (nasri@un.org) +964 (0)751 184 4380

www.unocha.org
The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate
effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors.
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