Children 'being killed by land-mines' upon fleeing Mosul
Large numbers of children are being killed by mines as they flee Mosul, a new report from Save the Children claims.
The children’s welfare charity has spoken with refugee families who have made the journey to safety and seen footage of dozens of people who have been killed in explosions after they escaped IS control.
An estimated 150,000 people have fled the area surrounding Mosul as a result of the conflict and refugee agencies are preparing for the arrival of 650,000 refugees.
It is possible that the actual number of refugees may be double that.
Many of the families are reportedly turning to unscrupulous people smugglers, many of whom are then sending families out into the wilderness without direction.
Of the families that survive their escape from IS guards, many then subsequently die as a result of dehydration or from stepping on IS landmines.
There are currently an estimated 600,000 children living in Mosul and many agencies claim that they have raised only half the amount of aid currently required to maintain standards for all the refugees.