“We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the 8-year old boy who tragically lost his life in the Ashti IDP Camp fire in #Sulaymaniya,” the consulate said in a statement.
“We are working closely with UNHCR [the UN’s refugee agency] to help meet immediate needs. The U.S. will continue to prioritize aid for vulnerable IDPs” in the Kurdistan Region, the statement added.
A child was killed when four tents in Sulaimani province’s Ashti camp caught fire on Thursday. An electrical fault is the suspected cause. The camp is located in Arbat and houses some 8,000 people who fled Islamic State group (ISIS) attacks in northern Iraq in 2014.
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Camp management has promised to provide the victims with new tents and household needs by Friday.
Fires are a constant hazard in refugee and IDP camps in the Kurdistan Region. Hundreds of tents burned in Duhok’s Sharya camp on June 4.
