Iraq: UN: Iraq Likely to Face Severe Food Shortage Because of Conflict

Jul 24, 2014 | Lisa Schlein, Voice of America
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GENEVA — A senior U.N. official warns millions of people in Iraq are likely to face severe food shortages because of fighting in the north. The official says the seizure of large swaths of territory by Islamic militants has disrupted the normal harvest season.

The United Nations estimates 1.2 million people are displaced from the conflicts in Iraq between the Shi'ite-led government and Sunni opponents. It says more than half that number have fled their homes since June 9, when the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militant group began its campaign to seize control of large parts of northwestern Iraq.