The UN and humanitarian organizations are concerned over the fate of some 50,000 civilians trapped in Fallujah, a town situated west of Baghdad and the site of an Iraqi army offensive.

The Norwegian Refugee Council's Becky Bakr Abdulla recalled stories told to her by families who managed to escape Fallujah, where the Iraqi army has shelled areas since Monday.

"People basically are surviving on dried dates and water from the river," Abdulla said. "The only things these families managed to take with them were the clothes they're wearing and their IDs."

Abdulla explained that the few families who did escape the town in Anbar province had to traverse around 30km by foot and pass numerous checkpoints in order to reach safety.

Although the offensive was launched on Monday, Iraqi government forces have besieged the city and its suburbs for several months now, resulting in shortages of food and medicines.

Dozens of civilians have been killed so far during the offensive, several sources reported.

More than a dozen Shia armed groups are taking part under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces.

PHOTO CAPTION

Displaced Sunni people, who fled the city of Ramadi, arrive on the outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq May 19, 2015.

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