With over a million people expected to flee Mosul, the United Nations children's fund UNICEF says it is ready to provide support to displaced young Iraqis.

The UN says that between 1.2 to 1.5 million people may be affected by the current situation in Mosul and at least 50 percent of these people will be children.

"These children have been exposed for over two years to probably a lot of atrocities, extreme living conditions and we want to be there for them to provide them the psycho-social support, to provide them efforts that give them back a normal life as a child," said Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Middle East Regional manager.

UNICEF has been preparing to meet the needs of people fleeing, with particular focus on children. The fighting around Mosul forced more than 5,600 people to flee their homes early last week.

The UN's refugee agency said around 5,400 people had been taken to a reception centre in the village of Al-Hood in Qa-yyarah. And another 240 people from Ham-da-ni-yah district of eastern Mosul had been transferred to the Debaga reception centre.