11 July 2017 - In Mosul, ICRC medical teams are seeing an increase in the number of people injured by unexploded ordnance and other explosive remnants of war. Civilians must take precautions and the clearance of this dangerous material must be a priority, otherwise casualty rates are likely to rise.

Two women treated by the ICRC in Mosul General Hospital were injured when they triggered a booby trap as they entered their home. A 9-year-old boy was badly wounded when he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) outside the home his family had just returned to.

"With vital infrastructure in ruins, humanitarian needs are high among the 800,000 people displaced from Mosul. Blasts from unexploded mortars and IEDs are now killing and maiming family members returning home in Mosul. Mines in schools, hospitals and on roads are a major risk for curious children and civilians at large. These dangerous and deadly tools of war must be cleared as soon as possible," said Alexandra Manescu, ICRC's deputy head of delegation in Iraq.