The UN children’s fund on Wednesday issued a stark warning to Iraqi troops and Islamic State (IS) militants in the battle for Fallujah to spare the children, the most vulnerable among tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the city west of Baghdad.
Iraqi forces, backed by U.S.-led air strikes and mainly Shia militias, launched an operation more than a week ago to recapture Fallujah, which has been held by the extremist group for more than two years.
Tight blockade More than 50,000 people are believed to be trapped inside the Sunni majority city, about 65 km west of Baghdad. Government forces have imposed a tight blockade on the city and IS militants are reportedly preventing residents from leaving.
UNICEF estimated the number of the children trapped with their families inside the city at about 20,000, warning that they face a dire humanitarian situation, in addition to the risk of forced recruitment by IS.
The organisation called on all parties to “protect children inside Fallujah” and “provide safe passage to those wishing to leave the city”.
Iraqi special forces, meanwhile, continued their push into the city from its southern edge, said Brig. Haider al-Obeidi, who said “fierce” clashes were under way on Wednesday.
The fight for Fallujah is expected to be protracted because IS has had more than two years to dig in. Hidden bombs are believed to be strewn throughout the city, and the presence of trapped civilians will limit the use of supporting airstrikes.
