Two experiences stand out from my recent visit to the Kurdistan Region in Iraq: meeting refugees fleeing Syria at the Domiz refugee camp; and seeing a weeping son uncovering the body of his father, Mohammed Serspi, murdered by Saddam Hussein’s regime in the 1980s. The first, a biblical tide of innocent humans cast out by a vicious dictator in 2013. The second is a single example from a multitude of evil which continues to wreak its effect decades on. The factor uniting these two experiences is Iraqi Kurdistan itself, whose very existence as a prosperous, free, secular place, and whose tragic history, shows just why dictators must be challenged.
Whilst visiting the Domiz refugee camp, I shared David Cameron’s pride in Britain’s commitment to overseas aid. As well as support from DFID, tents provided by British NGO ShelterBox in partnership with Rotary International, are providing much needed shelter. The camp’s director explained how the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), in conjunction with UNHCR and NGOs, are caring for a staggering 130,000, many of them at Domiz.
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