19 April 2015 – The United Nations’ humanitarian agencies are rushing support to thousands of Iraqis fleeing a flare-up in hostilities throughout the country’s Anbar Governorate, the Organization confirmed today.

In a press release issued earlier this morning, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that more than 90,000 people were fleeing the city of Ramadi and surrounding areas and were moving, on foot, towards Khaldiya, Ameriya al Faullujah and Baghdad.

“Our top priority is delivering life-saving assistance to people who are fleeing– food, water and shelter are highest on the list of priorities,” explained Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the United Nations in Iraq.

“Seeing people carrying what little they can and rushing for safety is heart-breaking,” Ms. Grande continued. “We are very worried about people’s safety; the situation is dramatic and only urgent action can save lives.”

According to OCHA, the UN’s humanitarian agencies have moved “quickly” to provide assistance for those in need.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has begun distributing immediate response rations, or IRRs, sufficient for three days to over 41,000 people in Ramadi and over 8,000 newly displaced in Baghdad.