Children in three Iranian refugee camps near the town of Koya in Iraqi Kurdistan were in school on 28 September 2022. Suddenly, classes were disrupted as Iran bombed the camps at least six times between 10:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. The terrified children and teachers hid behind rocks to escape the bombing. Several buildings were demolished, and the school was damaged in the bombardment.
The children and their families and teachers fled from the camps to the nearby town of Koya. Their damaged school was closed until late October when some of the families risked returning to their homes and schools in the camps. The children continue to be traumatized by the bombing and worry that they may be bombed again at any time.
The Iranian authorities’ excuse for bombing the camps is the presence of Iranian Kurdish opposition groups.
On 12 October, the CPT Iraqi Kurdistan team visited several of the displaced families in Koya. One 9th grade student told CPT, “we were listening to a lecture from our teacher about human rights when the bombing happened.”
Pray for these children and all children terrorized and traumatized by war. Also pray that Iran and all nations stop waging war, which is always a war on children.
