"We are concerned about any reports of civilians being killed or harmed in this conflict. We believe genuinely safe routes must be provided so that civilians who want to can escape the fighting and get to the shelter and help they need. All sides in the conflict should avoid the use of heavy weapons in built-up and populated areas and this includes artillery barrages," Tabacek, who has just returned from northern Iraq, said.
Mosul has been occupied by the IS, which is a terror group outlawed in Russia and many other countries, in June 2014. The US-supported Iraqi assault on the city has been ongoing since October 17. The Iraqi army and anti-terrorist units are storming Mosul from the northern and eastern flank, while the federal police are approaching the city from the east.
The humanitarian worker noted that tens of thousands of people have already left the city to avoid the conflict, with many living in sub-standard shelters.
"Two months in to the military operation to recapture Mosul, around 100,000 people have fled the city and surrounding areas. People have been leaving at a pretty constant rate of around 1,600 per day — enough to fill almost 30 single-deck buses. More than three quarters of these people have fled to camps where they are living in tents, while others are living in unfinished buildings and makeshift shelters. New arrivals tell horrific stories about their former lives under ISIS and their terrifying journeys to safety," Tabecek said.
A number of international organizations have voiced concerns over the fate of the civilians either displaced or trapped by the offensive.
A number of reports of airstrikes and shelling resulting in civilian casualties emerged throughout the two-month battle for Mosul. In November, Human Rights Watch said an airstrike by the US-led coalition had destroyed half of a clinic in south Mosul the month before, killing eight civilians along with three IS fighters.
Last Wednesday, the US military confirmed it had deliberately targeted the building which was allegedly being used by the IS to direct fire against coalition forces.
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