3 February 2017 – The United Nations refugee agency and its partners are coordinating plans to respond to a potential mass displacement of Iraqis from western Mosul, the latest battleground the Iraqi forces are seeking to retake from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) terrorists.

“As many as 250,000 Iraqis could be displaced from their homes with the anticipated escalation of conflict in densely-populated western Mosul,” Matthew Saltmarsh, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva.

The military operations to oust ISIL began on 17 October last year in eastern Mosul, which, according to UN agencies on the ground, is now under the Government control.

Mr. Saltmarsh said UNHCR has seven camps completed and two under construction. UNHCR is currently able to provide some 11,000 families, or 66,000 people, with shelter as part of the Mosul response, a figure which should expand to 20,000 families, or 120,000 individuals, in the near-term, once land is allocated.

The refugee agency continues to seek additional land for new camps, reception and transit areas, to assist people closer to Mosul. By the end of March, it is anticipated that the Government of Iraq, working with UNHCR and its partners, could potentially host 41,155 families, or 246,930 people, in camps and emergency sites.

Some 161,178 people have been displaced from Mosul and surrounding areas since the military offensive began in October, but nearly 30,000 of them have returned to their places of origin.

Returnees are keen to resume their lives and told UNHCR that the re-opening of schools and government offices was a factor in their decision to return. In some areas, security and the lack of food and water remain a concern. Some returnees continue to rely on emergency relief items, including kerosene, which they received while in camps.

UNHCR is also assisting increasing numbers fleeing Hawiga, 130 km south-east of Mosul, due deteriorating living conditions and the expected intensification of military operations.

Inter-agency planning estimates predict that up to 114,000 individuals could be displaced from Hawiga. So far, 82,128 people have fled since August 2016. Until recently, people had been leaving Hawiga in smaller numbers but hundreds are now fleeing eastwards daily towards Salah al-Din and Kirkuk.

UNHCR’s 2016 Mosul emergency response appeal for $196 million was 57 percent funded. For 2017, it is seeking $578 million for its work with Iraqi internally displaced persons and Iraqi refugees in the region. UNHCR has distributed emergency items, including quilts and blankets, to more than 178,000 people, and provided nearly 53,000 people affected by the Mosul conflict with protection assistance.

The following summary of planned new and ongoing road improvements over the coming week is correct as of 2 February but could be subject to change due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances. All our improvement work is carried out with the aim of causing as little disruption as possible.

M20 junction 4, Maidstone, Kent: junction improvement

Work by Kent County Council to improve journeys by adding an additional lane to the roundabout continues this week.

There will be full carriageway closures in both directions at the junction on Monday 6 February for 2 nights, between 9pm and 5am. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via the exit and entry slip roads at the junction.

For further information on the project, visit Kent County Council’s website.

M20 junctions 3 – 5, Kent: smart motorway surveys

Work to improve journeys continue this week on the M20 between junctions 3 & 5. There will be various lane closures in both directions on Monday 6 February for 5 nights, between 8pm and 6am. Surveys are scheduled to be complete in April 2017.

M20 junctions 5 – 10, Kent: litter & gully clearance

Work to improve journeys take place this week on the M20 between junctions 5 & 10.

There will be a full closure of the junction 5 entry slip eastbound overnight on Monday 6 February between 8pm and 6am. There will be a clearly signed diversion in place via junction 4 of the motorway.

There will be a full closure of the junction 6 entry slip eastbound overnight on Tuesday 7 February between 8pm and 6am. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via junction 5 of the motorway.

There will be a full closure of the junction 6 exit slip eastbound overnight on Wednesday 8 February between 8pm and 6am. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via junction 7 of the motorway.

There will be a full closure of the junction 7 entry slip eastbound overnight on Thursday 9 February between 8pm and 6am. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via junction 8 of the motorway.

There will be a lane 2 closure on the junction 8 exit slip eastbound overnight on Friday 10 February between 8pm and 6am.

There will be a full closure of the junction 8 entry slip eastbound overnight on Saturday 11 February between 8pm and 6am. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via junction 7 of the motorway.

There will be a full closure of the junction 10 entry slip eastbound overnight on Sunday 12 February between 8pm and 6am. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via junction 9 of the motorway.

M23 Junctions 8 – 10a, South Nutfield to Crawley: smart motorway surveys

Work to improve journeys continue this week on the M23 between junctions 8 & 10a. There will be various lane closures in place in both directions overnight on Monday 6 February for 5 nights, between 8pm and 6am. Surveys are scheduled to be complete in April 2017.

A2 Darenth to Bean, Kent: carriageway resurfacing

Work to improve journeys continue this week on the A2. There will be a full closure of the eastbound carriageway at the junction of Darenth A282 on Monday 6 February for 5 nights between 10pm and 6am. There will be a clearly signed diversion route via the exit and entry slip roads. Works are scheduled to be complete in early March 2017.

A21 Tonbridge to Pembury, Kent: major improvement

Work to improve journeys on the A21 between Tonbridge and Pembury continues this week. A 40mph speed limit remains in place 24/7 between the Vauxhall interchange and the A228.

A full closure will be in place overnight between 8pm and 6am on Thursday 9 February on the southbound carriageway between Quarry Hill and Longfield roundabout and on the northbound carriageway between Longfield roundabout and Vauxhall interchange. In addition Longfield Road will be closed in both directions between Longfield roundabout and Knights Park roundabout. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via the A26, A2014, A26 and the A228.

Two way traffic lights will be in place on the A21 overnight between 8pm and 6am from Monday 6 February for three nights and overnight on Friday 10 February.

Tonbridge Road will remain closed after Pembury Hospital up to and including Longfield Road roundabout until Spring 2017. A clearly signed diversion route will be in place via the A228 and the A21.

The scheme is due to be completed in Summer 2017.

For further information visit the scheme website.

A27 Pevensey, East Sussex: resurfacing works

Work to improve journeys commence this week on the A27 between the Polegate bypass, and the A259 Pevensey junction. The eastbound carriageway will be closed overnight between Monday 6 February for 5 nights, between 8pm and 6am. There will be a clearly signed diverion via the A22, A2290 and A259. Works are expected to be completed by the end of February.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare today stated

Justice Secretary Elizabeth Truss today (3 February 2017) paid tribute to the vital work of staff across our justice system as she met with teams at HMP Bristol and the Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre to hear about their experiences.

The visit comes after the Justice Secretary announced a major package of reforms to improve safety in prisons – including an additional £100 million to bolster frontline staff by 2,500 with almost £460,000 allocated to HMP Bristol. This is in addition to our £1 billion investment to improve access to justice and the experience for all court users, in particular vulnerable victims, witnesses and children.

HMP Bristol is already making improvements to safety and security thanks to over £400,000 funding for the prison. This includes extra money to roll out CCTV across the prison in order to deter violence, as well as introducing a number of interventions for emotional support such as anger management.

Today the Secretary of State sat down with the Governor and prison officers at HMP Bristol to hear first-hand the challenges they face and how the reforms and increased investment is helping.

Speaking after the visit, Elizabeth Truss said:

Our prisons need to be places of safety and reform and our dedicated frontline staff are vital to achieving this ambition.

The impressive work being done day in day out by the HMP Bristol officers I met today is too often unnoticed, but it is crucial to reducing reoffending and improving public safety. I will continue to listen to them and all prison staff as we deliver on our important reforms.

Later at Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre Ms Truss met with senior judges and frontline staff to see some of the impressive work being delivered to digitise our courts and speed up the delivery of justice. This includes increasing the use of video links – cutting the need for time-pressed people to travel back and forth to court buildings – and developing plans for simple, online systems so civil disputes can be resolved more quickly.

The visit also follows urgent steps taken by Ministers to ban perpetrators of domestic abuse from cross-examining their victims within the family court system.

Elizabeth Truss said:

We have a world leading legal system but I am committed to modernising our courts to make the experience more straightforward for all users.

It is vital that justice is efficient and simple, and the impressive work being done by the dedicated court staff I met today shows how we can make the best use of technology and simplify processes to improve access to justice and the experience for all court users.