AM, Iraq, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- The United Nations on Saturday warned Islamic State militants could perpetrate another ethnic slaughter, this time in the ethnic Turkmen Shiite town of Amerli, Iraq.
IS fighters have surrounded the town of about 17,000 people for two months now and its residents are without power and are running low on food, water and other supplies, CNN reported.
"The situation of the people in Amerli is desperate and demands immediate action to prevent the possible massacre of its citizens," said Nickolay Mladenov, the U.N. secretary-general's special representative for Iraq.
Mladenov called on the Iraqi government to end the IS siege on the town. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani echoed the sentiment and called for humanitarian air drops.
In the past 10 days, Amerli has received one food delivery, Dr. Ali Albayati, head of the Turkmen Saving Foundation said.
IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL, has taken control of strategic locations throughout Iraq and Syria, including several villages surrounding Amerli.
