Thousands flee fighting in Iraq’s Fallujah
As fighting escalates in Anbar province, nearly 14,000 people have sought refuge in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region.
Roughly 14,000 Iraqis have sought refuge in the country’s northern Kurdish region after escaping violence in Anbar province, according to the Kurdistan regional government.
The refugees came from the city of Fallujah where the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating, as people who were trapped in the city did not have access to food or fuel for days.
Pro-government fighters and Iraqi security forces have recently been involved in an operation against al-Qeada linked fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL).
Most of the people fleeing are staying in hotels or with family and friends and hope to return home within a month, once the situation stabilises in Anbar.
Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan explains.