Hana Human Rights Organization warns of the critical situation and widespread psychological trauma inflicted on children living in refugee camps in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq following continuous missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Hana considers these actions a direct violation of international obligations regarding the protection of children and civilians.
In recent years, and particularly since the start of the “12-Day War,” missile and drone attacks by the Islamic Republic of Iran against residential areas and camps housing families of Kurdish political activists and parties in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq especially in Sulaymaniyah Province have increased significantly. These attacks have placed the lives and safety of civilians, particularly children, under unprecedented threat.
Beyond the human casualties and extensive material damage, these strikes have left deep, long-term scars on children’s mental health. Many suffer from chronic anxiety, constant fear, night terrors, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Living in a persistent state of insecurity and dread has stripped these children of their psychological safety and sense of stability.
According to gathered information and field observations, a significant number of children in these camps have been forced into internal displacement, fleeing their homes following the attacks. This instability, combined with damaged educational infrastructure, limited school access, and a total lack of specialized psychological support services, has severely disrupted their education. Many children are now being deprived of their fundamental right to learn, threatening their educational, social, and psychological futures.
The conditions faced by children in these regions constant exposure to insecurity, psychological instability, military threats, and forced displacement stand in stark contrast to the fundamental principles of human rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. These actions violate the right to life, security, physical and mental health, and the right to grow up in a safe environment free from violence.
The Hana Human Rights Organization emphasizes that targeting civilian residential areas and instilling terror among children constitutes a serious violation of international human rights law and the basic tenets of International Humanitarian Law, specifically the principle of distinction between military and civilian targets and the protection of civilians during armed conflict.
Hana stresses the responsibility of international bodies and calls upon UNICEF, UN Special Rapporteurs, and other child rights advocacy organizations to provide an immediate and effective response. We urge international stakeholders to take practical steps to halt these attacks and guarantee the safety, security, and well-being of refugee children in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.