The Iraqi government’s prediction that they’d have full control over the city of Mosul by the end of the month seems increasingly unlikely, with the military talking up new tactics in western Mosul to try to get back their momentum after a couple of weeks of little progress.
Already five months in, the invasion looks like it could still take awhile, and that’s got more and more civilians looking for a way out of the city. Getting out isn’t so easy, however, with civilians saying they are targeted by ISIS gunmen as they try to get out of the city through the fighting.
Even those who’ve managed to get out of the city face an uncertain future, with the refugee camps set up in the immediate surrounding area already overcrowded, and many of the displaced going from camp to camp trying to find a place to stay, and finding none.
Those who can are staying with relatives, but that’s not an option for many of them, with long lines at Kurdish Peshmerga checkpoints as some try to flee in that direction hoping to find shelter.
