EC Meeting July 2022

The blockade was in place when I arrived there and the impact was obvious. Schools issued appeals for help with materials and supplies to British trade unions. The health centre had extreme shortages and the Covid supplies amounted to just a few boxes for the whole camp. The UNHCR response was notable and puzzled camp officials with whom I shared it. The exchange is worth reading in full: I am working on a story about an alleged chemical attack by Turkish forces during the bombing of the Maxmur refugee camp in northern Iraq on Monday which comes under UNHCR assistance. The footage is shown here: https://anfenglishmobile.com/features/were chemical-bombs-used-in-maxmur-44608 1. Has UNHCR commented on Turkey’s attacks on Monday and will you demand that it refrains from such actions? 2. Will UNHCR investigate the claims of chemical weapons attacks? 3. What action is being taken to ensure the safety of residents and access to medicine, food and education in terms of the KRG-imposed blockade? I would be grateful for any update or comments. Almost two weeks later I received this reply Dear Steve, Sorry about the delay, please find below highlighted answers to your questions. Best regards, Firas Al-Khateeb UNHCR has not recently received any reports of attacks on Makhmour camp [I have seen the report sent to the UNHCR after the attack. Officials denounced this as untrue]

UNHCR is not involved in the management of Makhmour camp. The camp is under the responsibility of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and you may want to get in touch with their press department for further information. [This came as a surprise to camp officials] UNHCR condemns attacks on civilians. [A notable refusal to condemn Turkey - but also indicates a belief that the residents in the camp aren’t civilians] UNHCR is a humanitarian agency concerned with the protection and welfare of refugees and displaced people and is not in any way involved in investigating alleged war crimes or military actions. We have not heard or received any information or reports to substantiate any chemical attacks affecting the Makhmour camp. We became aware of some displacement of 35 families that were living in villages north of Zakho near the border area and they moved away from the area of conflict. [While on the surface this is of course correct, the UNHCR has a duty to the refugees living in Makhmour yet had not even responded to or contacted camp officials in the aftermath of the airstrikes, details of which had been published on the Turkish Armed Forces website] UNHCR is not aware of a KRG imposed blockade aside from the travel restrictions imposed in the context of Covid-19 [an astonishingly dishonest claim given the protests outside UNHCR offices over both the bombings and the blockade and the letters and communications from camp officials] At the time the Arab League’s secretary-general, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, described Turkey’s Operation Claw Eagle offensive as “a cause for concern” with Makhmour one of 80 sites targeted in missile strikes, the others being in Qandil and Shengal. “The strikes represent an attack on Iraqi sovereignty and are taking place without co-ordination with the government in Baghdad,” he said, warning that Ankara was violating international law. During my time in the camp drones flew overhead every day. In particular they hovered overhead at around 3am each night in a bid to strike fear into the camp residents. It has achieved some levels of success in that people constantly fear an imminent attack

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