Highlights

• Humanitarian needs in western Mosul remain high, with shortages of food and water being reported. Although some areas of western Mosul are accessible to humanitarian partners, regular water supply has been very severely impact by the conflict resulting in serious shortages of water supplies of acceptable quality.

• Since the start of the operation in western Mosul on 19 February, an estimated 275,000 displaced people have passed through the Hammam al Alil screening site as of 9 April, according to the Government of Iraq.

• The cumulative number of IDPs since the beginning of the Mosul Operation on 17 October 2016 has reached beyond 436,000 people as of 9 April, according to the government. The government reports that 91,000 individuals have returned to eastern Mosul, and around 345,000 people are currently displaced as of 9 April.

• Camp construction and site expansion is rapidly accelerating to meet the humanitarian needs of people newly displaced from western Mosul city. According to the CCCM Cluster, some 273,162 people (54,000 families) are currently being sheltered in camps and emergency sites, with the remainder in host communities and informal sites. There are currently 5,994 fully serviced plots available for immediate use in four priority locations and six other locations, as of 9 April.

• Since the start of military operation in Mosul last year, over 6,340 people have been referred to hospitals in Mosul and neighboring Governorates; 1,683 cases have been treated at TSPs in western Mosul alone.

Situation Overview

Since the start of the Mosul Operation on 17 October 2016, the Government of Iraq has reported that as of 9 April a total of 436,000 people from Mosul city and its surrounding areas have been displaced. An estimated 91,000 people have reportedly returned to their areas of origin as of 9 April 2017, leaving an estimated 345,000 people currently displaced.

Since military operations in western Mosul city began on 19 February 2017, the Government of Iraq reports that 275,000 people have been displaced from western Mosul alone, as of 9 April. This past week saw an average of some 6,500 people displaced from western Mosul city transit through the Hammam al Alil screening site per day.

Camp construction continues to rapidly expand to meet the humanitarian needs of people fleeing western Mosul.

According to the CCCM Cluster, some 273,162 people (54,000 families) are currently being sheltered in camps and emergency sites, with the remainder in host communities and informal sites. As of 9 April, there were 5,994 fully serviced plots available for immediate use by approximately 40,000 people.

Emergency packages of food and water continue to be distributed to newly arriving families at the Hammam al Alil screening site, with water also being distributed at muster points. Since the beginning of the Mosul Operation, emergency response packages of ready-to-eat food rations, emergency water supplies, and hygiene and dignity to address the needs of 1,895,000 people affected by the Mosul crisis have been distributed.

Trauma care continues to remain a critical concern, especially near the front lines. Since 17 October last year, over 6,340 people have been referred to hospitals in Mosul and neighbouring Governorates, with 1,816 cases from western Mosul alone since 19 February. As of 9 April, 1,640 cases have been treated at Trauma Stabilization Points (TSPs) near frontline areas of western Mosul city.

In the past week several sources, including media outlets, have alleged the use of chemical mortar rounds in the Yarmouk and Matahin neighbourhoods of western Mosul city. WHO, through the Directorate of Health, is assisting with the care of civilians from these areas who have displayed symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical.

Water continues to remain a significant humanitarian concern in Mosul city. In eastern Mosul city water shortages persist, and humanitarian partners continue to truck 2.3 million litres of water per day to 26 neighbourhoods to supplement municipal supplies. In western Mosul city, many neighbourhoods also face chronic shortages of clean water, with many people drinking untreated water. The number of children with diarrhoea who have been displaced from western Mosul has risen and is of increasing concern. These shortages of clean drinking water have likely been exacerbated by ISIL’s recent attacks on the Badush water treatment plant, western Mosul’s largest functioning treatment plant. The extent of the damage from these attacks is not yet known.

The Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has distributed 12,350 hot meals and bottles of water to families passing through the Aqrab checkpoint (Scorpion Junction), in addition to 500 ready-to-eat meals. IRCS has also distributed some 7,500 hot meals and bottles of water in Hammam al Alil 1 camp.

Humanitarian partners are developing contingency plans to scale up assessment and response activities, should a mass evacuation of civilians from ISIL held areas in western Mosul city occur. A number of scenarios have been developed to assist this preparation.