(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Washington August 14 (QNA) - A mass evacuation of Yazidis hiding from fighters on Iraq's Sinjar Mountains is unlikely following an assessment by the US State Department and military that found far fewer people trapped than previously feared. Once believed to be in the tens of thousands the number of Yazidis in the mountains is "now in the low thousands" Brett McGurk a deputy assistant secretary of state told the (CNN) on Wednesday. The United States deployed 129 military advisers to get a firsthand look at the humanitarian crisis. As part of that effort a group of about 20 US State Department and military personnel spent 24 hours in the mountains to assess the numbers and conditions Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said. "The Yazidis who remain are in better condition than previously believed and continue to have access to the food and water that we have dropped" he said citing the success of humanitarian airdrops and airstrikes against ISIS. (QNA)
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.