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UN warns of exhaustion of humanitarian stocks in Ramadi

Xinhua, May 20, 2015

• UN agencies are rushing humanitarian assistance to people fleeing the war-torn Iraqi city of Ramadi, but warned of insufficient humanitarian stocks and funding, deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq said here Tuesday at a daily news briefing.

  Nearly 25,000 people have fled Ramadi, following attacks and fierce fighting by the Islamic State militant group in the city. Most of the displaced are fleeing towards Baghdad, with many trying to enter through security checkpoints, said Haq.

  In response to urgent requests from Iraqi authorities, the World Food Programme has distributed thousands of immediate response rations, sufficient for three days, and will be distributing food at locations where internally displaced people are concentrating for safety, he said.

  "The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and its partners, the Norwegian Refugee Council and the International Organization for Migration are distributing thousands of emergency kits with drinking water, hygiene items and other essential supplies," he said.

  The World Health Organization (WHO) has sent mobile health teams and ambulances to areas where the displaced are fleeing, according to the spokesman.

  However, UN agencies are mounting their operations with stocks running low and funds running out.

  More than 2.5 million displaced persons and refugees are receiving assistance each month from UN agencies and their partners. But funding for these life-saving programs is nearly exhausted, said Haq.

  "By June, 56 health programs will be forced to close...In July, the food pipeline will break," he noted.

  The city Ramadi has been engulfed in fierce battle recently. The Islamic State militant group on Sunday took full control of the city. On Monday, Iraqi security forces and allied Shiite and Sunni militias are building up at a nearby military base in Anbar, preparing for a major counter-offensive to recapture Ramadi.

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