United Nations, United States - The United Nations is negotiating with key players inside and outside Iraq on delivering humanitarian aid to areas under Islamic State control, the UN aid chief said Thursday.
Valerie Amos, the UN coordinator for emergency relief, told the Security Council that living conditions were worsening in jihadist-run territory which largely remain no-go areas for relief organizations.
"We are working to expand humanitarian access and now have a team of access and negotiation experts working with us," Amos told the 15-member council.
She said that with support from "key member-states and other influential actors inside and outside Iraq, we hope to increase our reach to these areas."
Over the past five months, the number of Iraqis in need of aid has increased by three million, pushing up the total to 8.2 million people.
The United Nations in August declared Iraq a level-three emergency, the highest ranking for the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises.
That was two months after Islamic State fighters captured the key city of Mosul and went on an offensive, seizing large swaths of territory in a brutal campaign.
Amos said Iraqis living under Islamic State rule were becoming "more and more cut off from the rest of the country" with many barred from leaving or from communicating with those on the outside.
Iraqis lack food, access to clean water and to medical care in IS territory while women and girls experience "horrific acts of sexual violence, physical abuse and enslavement," she said.
A UN convoy carrying aid for 26,400 people recently travelled to the central Haditha district of Anbar province but was unable to reach its destination because of security fears.
AFP
