article: The situation inside the city is very stressful. Everyone knows more destruction is coming. There is not much movement on the streets and people are not leaving their homes, unless absolutely necessary or if there is an emergency. Some try to store food in case the city falls under siege. We are very scared, and we are worried that the final stages are going to take long. IS will not give up and withdraw that easily and the whole operation might take as long as it did in east Mosul. The hospitals are not fully functioning, and IS is using them to treat its own fighters only. Civilians go to private clinics if they need to get treatment. This is of course very expensive. IS is forcing some of the doctors to stay at the hospitals to treat their fighters. There are a number of civilians who are trying to leave towards Syria, but this only happens covertly. I have become used to the situation here. Though I am very worried about my family's safety. I won't lie, I am scared too and I don't know if I am going to die in an air strike or killed by an IS fighter. I work for an anti-IS group called Sound and Picture and I am always worried that something could happen to my family because of me, or that they will see me in an IS video if get captured. IS is reinforcing its presence in the outskirts of the western part of the city. It is converting some of the houses into secret offices and operation rooms. They have also banned their fighters from taking breaks or going on leave. We hear the sound of bombs and clashes all over the city. Planes have been flying over the city constantly over the past two weeks. The city is a ghost town now. You very rarely find people on the streets. Busiest times are during prayer times, as IS still forces people to go to the mosques. In some mosques, names are being taken of those attending to later punish those who didn't attend the prayers. We are all concerned it is going to take a long time till the city is liberated. After all, it took a long time for the east to be liberated. Many people have died or were injured. We are also worried about food supplies and medicine stocks. If the situation continues as it is, we will run low on goods very soon. The medical situation is very worrying. Essential medicine, like insulin, are not there as IS took most of the stock. My father has diabetes and I can't provide him with insulin or other medication. His health is getting worse. My mother has high blood pressure and I can't buy her the necessary medicine; it is either not available or too expensive. I don't know what to do or how to help them. People, including my neighbours, are trying to leave, but very few can afford to do so. Some people had to pay $800
summary: Civilians in western Mosul describe what it is like there at the moment, as Iraqi forces try to drive out so-called Islamic State (IS).