Due to the embargo imposed by both the Iraqi government and the government of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), living conditions in the Maxmur refugee camp are deteriorating dramatically.

The Maxmur camp is increasingly lacking essential goods such as medicine and food. While its residents are not allowed to work outside the camp, the Iraqi government has also blocked the import of building materials since April 10. For two years, the identity documents of thousands of people have not been renewed and the camp is largely cut off from the outside world.

A heavy embargo in place since April 10

A delegation from the Maxmur People's Council traveled to Baghdad on May 14 to discuss the lifting of the embargo imposed on April 10, the general situation of the camp population, and to develop solutions to the serious deficiencies. The residents of Maxmur had asked the delegates to convey their concerns to the Iraqi government. On the way back from this visit, delegation members, Ahmed Şehbaz, co-chair of the Maxmur People's Council, Edban Yılmaz, co-mayor of the camp, and Bewar Emin, co-spokesperson for the Foreign Relations Committee, were arrested.

The approximately 13,000 residents of the Şehid Rüstem Cudi (Maxmur) Refugee Camp are mostly Kurds who fled the Botan region in Northern Kurdistan (South-Eastern Turkey) in1994 due to the destruction of their villages by the Turkish military, as well as their descendants.

Residents of Maxmur were displaced from Turkey and fled to Iraq

The Democratic Unity Initiative issued a statement drawing attention to the situation in the Maxmur Refugee Camp, which said the following:

"Due to the unfavorable policies of Middle Eastern states, the Kurdish people have faced many challenging conditions and circumstances to date. In some countries, their existence has been denied, and in others, their political and cultural rights have not been recognized. As a result of these anti-democratic policies, millions of Kurdish girls and boys have been imprisoned, buried, or exiled. An important result of this is undoubtedly the Maxmur Refugee Camp. In the 1990s, the Kurdish people in Turkey were subjected to severe oppression and persecution. Since no democratic solution was sought to the Kurdish question, security-oriented policies were implemented everywhere; thousands of villages were burned, emptied, and thousands of people were displaced from these regions. As a result, in the years 1993-1994, thousands were forced to migrate and fled to South Kurdistan.

Maxmur Camp has been subjected to numerous attacks and obstructions

The journey of children, young people, women, and men from various camps to Zakho and then to Maxmur was extremely difficult. As a result, it took several years for them to be recognized as political refugees by the United Nations, and the Maxmur Refugee Camp came under United Nations protection. The Maxmur Camp, despite being under UN protection, has been subjected to numerous attacks and obstructions, and unfortunately, this situation has not changed today.

Refugee rights protected by international law have been repeatedly violated by regional powers and states, particularly due to the neglect of the UN mission. As a result, daily life is becoming increasingly difficult for the people of Maxmur Camp, where more than 13,000 people live.

Maxmur delegation arrested in May sill not released

Finally, on April 10, 2025, the Baghdad government imposed a severe embargo on the Maxmur camp. As a result, the daily needs of civilians are not met, municipal services are not provided, and the right to health of camp residents is denied. On May 14, a delegation traveled to Baghdad to demand the lifting of the embargo, but they were arrested by Iraqi forces on their way back and have not been released to this day.

As the Democratic Unity Initiative, we do not accept and strongly condemn the embargo and blockade imposed on the Maxmur Refugee Camp. At the same time, we criticize the stance of the responsible representatives of the United Nations and call on them to take immediate action in accordance with their roles and missions. In this context, the embargo must be lifted, the right to health, freedom of movement, and the right to work must be protected, and airstrikes and the siege of the camp must be prevented.

Call upon the governments of Baghdad, Erbil, and Ankara

We call on the governments of Baghdad, Erbil, and Ankara to recognize and protect the rights of the civilian population in Maxmur Camp, which is home to thousands of civilians living there for 31 years. The story of the people of Maxmur is the story of a community that has never relinquished its dignity and existence in the face of challenges and difficulties. We are well aware that this truth is also the reason behind the attacks directed against the people of Maxmur.

We will never remain silent in the face of attacks and embargoes against Maxmur refugees, and we will always stand by our brothers and sisters. Our hope and call is for the demands and expectations of Maxmur refugees to be met immediately. The policies towards Maxmur Camp are a crime and unacceptable under international law and UN resolutions.”