OREANDA-NEWS. Expressing deep concern for the safety of as many as 1.5 million people in Iraq's Mosul, the top United Nations humanitarian official has called on all parties to the conflict to ensure that civilians in the city are protected and that they have access to humanitarian assistance.

“Families are at extreme risk of being caught in cross-fire or targeted by snipers. Tens of thousands of Iraqi girls, boys, women and men may be under siege or held as human shields,” UN Emergency Relief Coordination Stephen O'Brien said in a statement late yesterday.

“As many as one million people may be forced to flee their homes in a worst-case scenario,” he added.

Underscoring that nothing is more important than ensuring the protection of civilians and their access to assistance, he also called on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and to ensure the protection of civilians.

In particular, Mr. O'Brien emphasized that children, women, the elderly and disabled will be specifically vulnerable.

The UN relief chief's message comes against the backdrop of military operations underway to retake the city from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh).

Mr. O'Brien, who is also the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), further highlighted that humanitarian actors will be doing “everything possible” to support the people who may be affected by the military operation.