UN warns Mosul operation to displace many civilians

GENEVA (AA) - The UN has warned again that the expected military offensive in Iraq's Mosul city may create a massive displacement of people.

Speaking at a press conference at the UN headquarters in Geneva on Friday, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi said: "If there is a military offensive in Mosul, we may witness very large internal displacement.

"While we are speaking, Mosul is expecting a military offense which could cause displacement...We are mobilizing tents and supplies that would be necessary to respond this crisis."

Grandi warned the Iraqi government against penalizing its own civilians in case a military offensive takes place.

This is not the first time the UN has warned that a military offensive in Mosul would affect the civilian population severely. On Aug. 23, UNHCR’s Iraq representative, Bruno Geddo, warned that up to a million more people could get affected by the offensive.

About the role of former UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, who is set to become the next UN secretary-general, Grandi said: "The [UN] Security Council has been really very divided in some of the key issues for which unity is necessary, especially [for] peace in Syria and also on other matters. The unity is one of the biggest problem in terms of peacemaking today."

He also congratulated Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos for winning the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. "Peace prize rewards political courage," he said.