Battle for Fallujah: Refugees tell of suffering as Iraqi army storms besieged city

Civilians who have been able to escape Fallujah in Iraq have been sharing their stories of suffering and starvation while trapped in the city. Fallujah was the first city captured by Islamic State (Isis) in January 2014, and has been under siege for about six months.

Around 554 families have been able to escape since 21 May 2016, but up to 50,000 people are still thought to be stuck there.

"We were surrounded by Daesh [Islamic State] for more than two years. We've survived on barley bread because there is no food. There is no medicine, too," said Umm Salam, a 40-year-old mother who fled the city with her children.

"The [IS militants] took our men before the entry of the armed forces, and we do not know if they are alive or dead. They also took families with them to Fallujah and we don't know their fate"

The Iraqi army launched and offensive on Monday (30 May), hoping to remove the extreme Sunni militants from the city, which is only 32 miles west of Baghdad.

The UN has urged combatants to assure safe passage for civilians trying to escape the conflict, and aid agencies are becoming increasingly concerned about the levels of suffering in Fallujah.