3 million Iraqis displaced in 18 months
Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
Publication Date | 23 June 2015 |
Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 3 million Iraqis displaced in 18 months, 23 June 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55b5f41612.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 23, 2015
Iraqis fleeing violence in the city of Ramadi arrive at the outskirts of Baghdad in May of this year.
The United Nations says at least 3.09 million people have been displaced by the conflict in Iraq since January 2014.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on June 23 that more than 2.6 million of the total are from Anbar, Nineveh, and Salaheddin – three provinces that have been hardest hit by fighting between Islamic State (IS) militants and pro-government forces.
It said more than 276,000 people were displaced over the past two months amid fighting over Anbar's capital, Ramadi, which fell to IS fighters in mid-May.
The IS group seized large swaths of Syria and Iraq in a lightning offensive in June 2014.
Prior to that, antigovernment fighters seized the city of Fallujah, also in Anbar province, and parts of Ramadi, prompting tens of thousands of people to flee.
Based on reporting by AFP and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website