CITY PROFILE OF MOSUL, IRAQ
Multi-sector assessment of a city under siege

United Nations Human Settlements Programme in Iraq (UN-Habitat) 2016

www.unhabitat.org

Nineveh Governorate was once known for its good
healthcare services and highly-qualified doctors.
Between 2008 and 2014, a substantial number of facilities
were rehabilitated and equipped with new medical
instruments. New specialized hospitals were also planned
in the northern and southern parts of the city, and some
were still under construction when ISIL took over the city
(Map 23).
According to the Ministry of Planning (2013), Mosul city
has in total:
• 13 public hospitals with a 3,200-bed capacity;
• 4 specialized public hospitals (gynaecology, cancer
and nuclear medicine, paediatric and maternity, and
chest diseases and fevers) with a 228-bed capacity;
• 3 private hospitals with a 104-bed capacity;
• 32 public health clinics; and
• 254 private health clinics.

All these facilities were managed by specialist doctors
and were working properly until ISIL occupied the city.
At that point, although hospitals were not destroyed by
air strikes and continue to receive civilian patients, health
services started to deteriorate. Due to the fragile security
situation, many medical staff members fled. This clearly
affected the quality of healthcare and the capacity of
hospitals to deal with surgical cases, and with patients
in general. With regard to surgeries, priority was given
to non-civilians patients. Also, the higher fees that ISIL
imposed on medical services and operations (IQD 100,000
– IQD 500,000) added to the suffering of many civilians.
The fact that ISIL prohibited male doctors from examining
female patients, and female doctors from examining
male patients, has particularly affected maternal health.
Exacerbating the problem is the increasingly poor
sanitation in hospitals and the disposal of hazardous
waste. The lack of obstetric and natal care is another
serious issue especially in view of the depletion of
vaccinations for infants. The availability of other medical                                                                                                                                supplies and equipment has also decreased, as stocks
were transferred outside Mosul and/or diverted for other
uses by ISIL.
The closure of the highways that connect Mosul with
other Iraqi cities further contributed to the decline of
the city’s health sector. Although many pharmacies are
still open, their stocks is quite limited. Medicines, when
available, are largely unaffordable. According to some city
residents, the only available medicines in Mosul today
are illegally imported from Syria and Turkey through ISIL
followers.
In short, many city inhabitants are affected by poor
healthcare, difficult access to surgery, unavailability of
basic medicines and medical supplies (e.g. insulin and
medicines for high blood pressure), as well as poor solid
waste disposal and limited clean water for drinking.