UN: AT LEAST 15,000 CIVILIANS KILLED IN IRAQ SINCE 2014

Geneva, 27 Ramadan 1436/14 July 2015 (MINA) – At least 15,000 civilians have been killed and 30,000 injured due to armed conflict in Iraq since January 2014, a UN report said on Monday.

“Widespread human rights violations and massive displacement continue unabated throughout the country,” said the report, compiled by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The report is based on investigations on the ground and testimonies from victims and witnesses, including internally displaced people, the UN said, Anadolu Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

“Widespread human rights violations and killings of civilians continue unabated in Iraq,” it said.

The report indicated that the situation of civilians in areas under the control of the Islamic State (IS/ISIL) remained dire.

“Civilians continued to be murdered, often in grim public spectacles,” the report said.

Noting ethnic and religious communities in ISIL-controlled areas continue to be persecuted, the report said, adding about 3,500 members of the Yezidi community remained in ISIL captivity.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 3 million Iraqis have been displaced due to conflicts in the country from January 2014 through June 2015. (T/P001/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)