UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — Earlier on Wednesday, US media reported that the Department of Defense is deploying 600 more troops to Iraq in advance of the operation to retake Mosul from the terrorist group.
"We are concerned at the possible humanitarian ramifications of the fight. And that is why we are working with our Iraqi counterparts and trying to pre-position as much humanitarian aid as possible," Dujarric stated.
Dujarric explained the ongoing humanitarian efforts have been conducted by the World Food Program (WFP) with help from its local partner Muslim Aid. The organizations are distributing food in and around the town of Shirqat in Northern Iraq, 80 km south of Mosul.
The town was under siege until September and all humanitarian assistance had been blocked since 2014.