Apr 4, 2018

The United Nations said Wednesday that it has conducted its first humanitarian mission to Raqa since the Syrian city was liberated from the Islamic State group, warning that returning civilians face enormous risks.

The city, which IS proclaimed part of its "caliphate" in 2014, is littered with un

exploded devices, the head of the UN's Syria humanitarian taskforce, Jan Egeland, told reporters in Geneva.

"Homes are still full of bombs (and) grenades. Children are still being maimed and killed," Egeland said, after receiving a report on the visit, which was carried out in recent days.

Roughly 100,000 people have returned to Raqa since IS was flushed out in October by fighters backed by a US-led international coalition.