Iraqis Running Out Of Food, Medicine In Besieged Fallujah

February 03, 2016

Iraqi officials say tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians are running out of food and medicine in the western city of Fallujah, an Islamic State stronghold under siege by security forces.

Sohaib al-Rawi, the governor of Anbar Province where Fallujah is located, appealed to the U.S.-led coalition combating IS militants to air-drop humanitarian supplies to civilians. 

Rawi said it was the only way to deliver aid to Fallujah, located some 50 kilometers from Baghdad, after militants mined the entrances to the city and stopped people leaving.

"No force can enter and secure [the delivery]...There is no option but for airplanes to transport aid," he said in an interview with al-Hadath TV on February 2. 

Iraqi media reports have said several people have died due to starvation and poor medical care. 

Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa