6,878 Civilians Killed In Iraq In 2016, UN Reports

The UN have released a statement saying that violence in Iraq claimed the lives of over 6,878 Iraqi civilians in 2016.

This comes as the Iraqi government struggles to maintain security nationwide and take back control from IS militants.

The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, known as UNAMI, said its numbers "have to be considered as the absolute minimum" as there is no accurate way of verifying civilian casualties in conflict areas, or those who lost their lives due to the secondary effects of violence, which include: 

“Exposure to the elements, lack of water, food, medicines and health care”

The statement released by UNAMI says that 12,388 civilians were also wounded in 2016, not including those injured in Iraq’s western Anbar province for the months of May, July, August and December.

Figures also show that at least 7,515 civilians were killed in 2015.

The worst affected area has been the northern province of Ninevah, where government forces are fighting to retake the IS-held city of Mosul.

Civilians continue to be killed as Daesh has claimed responsibility for a string of bombings in Baghdad that have killed more than 50 people in the last week alone.

Jan Kubis, the special representative of the UN secretary-general for Iraq, claimed that the attacks are a diversion tactic to mask IS’s own failings, saying:

"This is, no doubt, an attempt by Daesh to divert attention from their losses in Mosul and, unfortunately, it is the innocent civilians who are paying the price."

The UN came under criticism from the Iraqi military last month after reporting that nearly 2,000 members of the Iraqi forces had been killed in November.

The Iraqi government has not publicised the casualty figures for government troops and paramilitary forces fighting in Mosul and elsewhere in northern Iraq.

MORE: Battle for Mosul: Operation To Retake IS Stronghold Begins