Tens of Thousands of Iranian Kurds in Iraq Await UN Aid for Third Country Resettlement

Al Jazeera news network, referring to the case of Behzad Mahmoudi, a Kurdish refugee who came from Iran and lost his life after self-immolation in front of the United Nations office in Erbil, has reported on the dire conditions in which these refugees are living.

In this report, Behzad Mahmoudi’s friend, who was also supposed to self-immolate alongside Behzad, stated that Behzad had submitted a request to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for temporary accommodation and third country resettlement, but had not received a response.

Behzad Mahmoudi’s friend, whose name has not been disclosed, says both of them were employed as construction workers in Erbil; however, they could not afford housing and faced the risk of dismissal and deportation back to Iran. Nevertheless, despite repeated requests, they received no financial assistance from the United Nations.

Firas Al-Khateeb, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, told Al Jazeera in a telephone conversation that the UN office in Erbil is handling the cases of 10,000 Iranian Kurds in accordance with standards established in international law. Mr. Al-Khateeb also stated that in this process they must ensure that refugees are civilians and have no history of military activity.

Source: Voice of America