Iraqi officials say tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians are running out of food and medicine in the city of Fallujah, an Islamic State (IS) stronghold in Anbar Province that is under siege by security forces.
Anbar Province Governor Sohaib al-Rawi appealed to the U.S.-led coalition combatting IS militants to airdrop humanitarian supplies to civilians.
Rawi said airdrops have been the only way to deliver aid to Fallujah, about 50 kilometers west of Baghdad, since militants mined the entrances to the city and stopped people from leaving.
"No force can enter and secure [the delivery].... There is no option but for airplanes to transport aid," he said in an interview with Al-Hadath TV on February 2.
Iraqi media reports say several people have died due to starvation and poor medical care.
