11 November 2016
Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights: Ravina Shamdasani
Location:
Geneva
Subject: (1)
Iraq / Mosul (2) Syria
(1) Iraq/Mosul
As further evidence emerges of mass graves, sexual
exploitation of women and girls, torture and killings and child recruitment in
Mosul and other ISIL-occupied areas of Iraq, UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein has called for immediate action to ensure that the
rights and needs of victims and survivors are met, including, crucially, the
need for justice, truth and reconciliation.
“Heartbreaking images of children…children…being forced
to carry out executions, stories of women being ‘redistributed’ among ISIL
fighters, of killings for possession of SIM cards, and killings of those
perceived to be opposed to ISIL’s takfiridoctrines. The forced displacement of
tens of thousands of civilians and their exploitation as human shields, and
then the risk of reprisals against these long-suffering women, men and children
for their perceived support of ISIL – the extent of civilian suffering in Mosul
and other ISIL-occupied areas in Iraq is numbing and intolerable,” High
Commissioner Zeid said.
Read the full press release:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20858&LangID=E
(2) Syria
The battle for Mosul is also leading to the displacement
of civilians from Iraq into Syria. We have received reports that Iraqi
civilians from rural areas around Mosul City have been arriving in the Syrian
governorates of Raqqa, Deir ez-Zour and al-Hassakeh. They reportedly left,
after the Iraqi Security Forces and allied armed groups captured the areas,
fearing they would be seen as affiliated to ISIL.
We have reports that several hundred Iraqi civilians are
facing a dire humanitarian situation in Rajm al-Sleibi in the Syrian
governorate of al-Hassakeh on the border with Iraq, which is under the control
of YPG or People’s Protection Units. People here include those who have fled
the current fighting and those who had earlier crossed into al-Hassakeh.
In the ISIL-controlled Syrian governorate of Raqqa, ISIL
fighters in the area are said to have housed some newly-arrived families in the
homes of local residents who had fled. We also have reports of families being
housed at the entrance to Raqqa city, in the neighbourhood of al-Mashlab, which
is under the strong control of ISIL.
In light of the announcement of possible ground
operations by Kurdish and other forces, and the conduct of regular airstrikes
by the US-led Coalition, we are concerned that ISIL tactics already employed in
Manbij in August that endanger the civilian population may be adopted in Raqqa
and surrounding areas - namely taking civilians hostage and planting improvised
explosive devices in civilian houses and residential neighbourhoods.
We remain concerned at the number of civilian casualties
as a result of increased air and ground strikes on ISIL targets in populated
areas. We received initial reports that on 9 November 23 civilians were killed,
including six women and at least four children, and at least 30 others were
injured by an airstrike and accompanying ground-based strikes on al-Hisha, an
ISIL-controlled village in northern ar-Raqqa. One mortar hit a civilian
vehicle, killing two passengers who were trying to transport injured civilians.
The worsening humanitarian situation in Madaya town in
Rural Damascus Governorate is of particular concern. We have received reports
that some 25 people in the town with kidney disease have been in need of
evacuation to receive medical care since October.
Sources on the ground have informed us that on 9
November, a young woman and an elderly man - both suffering from kidney disease
- reportedly died due to lack of medical treatment.
The residents of Madaya in Rural Damascus Governorate
have been under siege by pro-Government forces since mid-2015, and we have
received reports that there are only a handful of people with medical training
inside the town. Since September 2015, Madaya has been part of the broader
Four-Town Agreement, which conditions humanitarian access to Madaya and
neighbouring al-Zabadani on comparable access to Foua and Kefraya in Idleb
Governorate.
We remind the parties that they must allow and facilitate
the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need.
The imposition of restrictions or conditions by the parties preventing the sick
and wounded from being evacuated from the area is strictly prohibited under
international humanitarian law.
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact
Rupert Colville (+41 22 917 9767 / rcolville@ohchr.org) or Ravina Shamdasani
(+41 22 917 9169 / rshamdasani@ohchr.org ) or Liz Throssell ( +41 22 917 9466/ ethrossell@ohchr.org )
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