Iraqi Muslim scholars warn of humanitarian disaster in Fallujah

The Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq has warned of what it said was “scenes of killing and destruction by government forces and their militias practiced on a daily basis against the city of Fallujah” which have impacted all walks of life and could lead to a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe.

In a statement released yesterday, the association said that “government forces and their brutal militias continue shelling residential areas and commercial markets with rockets, mortars weapons and explosive barrels on a daily basis which caused the death and injury of 7,882 people, mostly children and women during this year, whereas more than 90 people were killed and hundreds more were injured in the last 11 days alone.”

The statement pointed out that the city’s mosques have not been spared and were shelled and destroyed.

According to the statement: “The only hospital in the city has been shelled at least 40 times with mortars, explosive barrels and missiles and it suffers from a severe shortage of medical staff.

“Most surgeries are conducted by unspecialised doctors who are forced to perform amputation on injured persons while families use expired drugs due to lack of medical drugs and children vaccines.”

The association added that “the suffocating siege imposed on Fallujah has led to lack of food, the closure of the commercial market and the collapse of the people’s purchasing power due to unemployment”.

“All crossings except Shiha’s crossing are shut down while the road to the nearest residential area, Amiriyat Fallujah, 27 kilometres away takes two whole days to reach and costs nearly $300,” they explained, adding that the road is full of dangers including bombing, kidnappings or detention by government agencies and their militias.