In Pictures
What life is like for Iraqis fleeing violence in Mosul
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have fled west Mosul in the US-backed offensive to retake the city from ISIL.
Hammam al-Alil, Iraq – As the Iraqi government’s military offensive against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, known as ISIS) armed group rages on to retake the largest ISIL-controlled city in the country, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been forced to flee their homes.
Since the push to regain control of the western half of Mosul began on February 19, the Iraqi government estimates that more than 220,000 people have been displaced.
About 70 percent of these people are living in overstretched, underdeveloped refugee camps, according to the United Nations.
Many have fled to the Hammam al-Alil refugee camp, south of the city, to seek shelter and safety. The camp is home to about 4,000 families who arrived in the last two months to escape the fighting.
