mosul update.

Situation Overview

During this reporting period, the DTM reported that an estimated 45,000 people were displaced from West Mosul, an increase of around 22 per cent from the previous week. This brought the total number of West Mosul’s IDPs to 153,000 people since recording of displacement movements began on 25 February up to 19 March. There may be discrepancies between DTM figures and those reported by the Government of Iraq.

According to DTM, the cumulative number of IDPs since the beginning of the Mosul Operation on 17 October 2016 has exceeded 330,000 people (55,000 families). However, with an estimated 72,000 people having returned to their places of origin, more than 260,000 people are still in displacement. This is reportedly the highest number of people living in displacement since hostilities began. Partners have also reported that returns to eastern Mosul City continue from Zones East and North, particularly from Nargizlia, Qaymawa, Hassansham, and Khazer Camps.

Emergency packages of food and water have been distributed to new arrivals at the Hammam Al-Alil security screening site, and water is also being distributed at muster points. Since the start of the Mosul Operation, Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) partners have distributed emergency kits to some 628,843 people, including 345,864 children.

To keep pace with the number of people being newly displaced from western Mosul, partners are also scaling up capacity. As of the evening of 19 March, some 4,100 fully-serviced plots were available for immediate occupation in the North and East Zones of Mosul City. Additional camp construction and site expansion are planned, and the installation of water and sanitation services is accelerating across camps and emergency sites. UNHCR has started preparation for a new camp, As-Salamiyah 2, which is ten kilometres south of the town of Hammam Al-Alil for up to 60,000 IDPs and is expected to have an initial 5,000 plots. Once completed, the camp is planned to provide 10,000 plots.

Trauma casualty rates across Mosul are high. Since the military operation in western Mosul began on 19 February, services of Trauma Stabilization Points for conflict-related injuries have become increasingly in demand. During this reporting period, Al-Qayyara Hospital in Mosul was reopened to provide trauma care and obstetric services after the facility were forced to close down for five months due to extensive damage.

A fifty-bed field hospital was opened in Hammam Al-Alil, boasting two operation theatres and post-operative care to receive and treat cases from West Mosul. The hospital also has an emergency department with ten beds that can cater for serious emergency cases, including injuries.

On 19 March, a non-trauma primary healthcare and delivery mobile unit was deployed to Al-Maamoun District of West Mosul, where health services – especially women’s healthcare – have been heavily affected over the past two years. Further frontline response services inside West Mosul are expected as more districts and neighbourhoods become accessible.