Iraq: UNICEF says children in Fallujah face extreme violence
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 1 June 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iraq: UNICEF says children in Fallujah face extreme violence, 1 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57690195c.html [accessed 30 May 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 01, 2016
The United Nations' children's agency says at least 20,000 children remain trapped inside Fallujah as government forces fight to retake the Iraqi city from Islamic State militants.
"We are concerned over the protection of children in the face of extreme violence," the UNICEF representative in Iraq, Peter Hawkins, said in a statement on June 1.
"Children face the risk of forced recruitment into the fighting" inside the besieged city and "separation from their families" if they manage to leave, he added.
Backed by Shi'ite militias and air strikes from the U.S.-led coalition, Iraqi forces launched on May 23 an offensive to recapture Fallujah, 70 kilometers west of Baghdad.
On May 30, Iraqi forces began to advance on the city.
Fallujah was the first Iraqi city that fell under control of the ultra-hardline Sunni militants, in January 2014.
About 50,000 civilians remain in the city, according to the United Nations.
Based on reporting by Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
