UN Dispatches Humanitarian Team to Nothern Iraqi City in 'Dire' Situation

iStock/Thinkstock(AMERLI, Iraq) — The United Nations dispatched a humanitarian team to the northern Iraqi city of Amerli on Wednesday, sending personnel to the area for the first time since a two-month siege was lifted.

UNICEF estimates 3,000 children have been trapped in the region and the, “humanitarian situation on the ground remains dire,” according to a briefing note.

Officials told aid workers that families were forced to survive on bread and water alone. During the siege, two children and seven pregnant women reportedly died, a pharmacist said.

The Mayor of Amerli requested assistance from UNICEF for food, water, and medical supplies, along with support to revive the only health clinic in town. The lawmaker also expressed concern that the school year would be unable to begin for the 11 primary schools in the area.

The siege was lifted Sunday morning, prompting the arrival of 15 trucks worth of supplies for 15,000 people in Amerli.

Still, officials say that “more must be done” to provide aid.


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