Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] on Thursday called on [press release] Iraqi forces to allow aid such as food and medicine into Fallujah as the armed siege is producing acute shortages. The city has found itself besieged by governmental forces since the Islamic State (ISIS) made it a territorial strong hold in 2014. HRW is calling on the Iraqi forces to allow aid into the city and also asking ISIS to allow the sick and starving residents to evacuate the city. Due to the siege, HRW is relying on local activist to report information as they are not able to reach the city and have gathered that, “[w]hat little food remains is being sold at exorbitant prices. A 50-kilogram sack of flour goes for US$750, and a bag of sugar for $500[.]” As the possibility of mass starvation continues, local activist and residents are using social media in the hopes of raising awareness of the growing crisis which has yet to amount to international priority.

ISIS, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and simply the Islamic State (IS) [JURIST backgrounder], has been accused of war crimes on a massive scale in Iraq and Syria due to their involvements of civilians as a tool of war. In March US Secretary of State John Kerry, in a speech at the State Department, declared [JURIST report] that the Islamic State “is responsible for genocide against groups in areas under its control, including Yezidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims.”