The UN has warned it may be forced to shut down or reduce more than half of its critical aid operations for those affected by conflict in Iraq.

It is appealing for nearly $500m (£325; €443) to cover the immediate needs of 5.6m Iraqis for the next six months.

Three million have been displaced since Islamic State (IS) begin its campaign to seize vast swathes of Iraqi territory last year, the UN estimates.

But many refugees have been scattered, further hampering aid efforts, it adds.
'Catastrophic'

"More than 50% of the operation will be shut down or cut back if money is not received immediately," warned the UN's humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, Lise Grande.

The consequences of such a reduction in aid would be "catastrophic", threatening to leave millions without food, water and shelter, she added.

In a new report, the UN describes the humanitarian needs in Iraq as "staggering". It says more than eight million people are already in need of immediate support, with the figure projected to rise to 9.9m by the end of 2015.

The IS crisis is one of the most brutal insurgencies in the world, the report says, with populations subjected to mass executions, systematic rape and torture.

BBC