A 14-year-old boy has died following a fire at a refugee camp in Sulaimani, while three members of his family remain in critical condition with severe burns, according to local officials and medical staff.
The blaze broke out earlier this week at Barika refugee camp and spread through the family’s shelter after what authorities described as an electrical malfunction.
Doctors at a burn treatment hospital in Sulaimani said the victims included the children’s mother and three siblings, all of whom suffered burns across more than half of their bodies and continue to receive intensive medical care.
Refugee camp fire kills child, critically injures three in Sulaimani after an electrical short circuit reportedly caused household appliances to ignite inside the shelter.
Camp officials identified the child who died as Omar Bozan. Family members told local media that a phone charger and air conditioning unit caught fire following a power failure, causing flames to spread rapidly through the shelter.
Relatives said several of the injured victims remain dependent on life-support equipment as doctors continue treatment.
The family, originally from Kobane in northeast Syria, has lived in the Kurdistan Region for more than a decade after fleeing conflict linked to the Syrian civil war and the rise of the Islamic State group.
According to Kurdistan Regional Government figures, more than 250,000 Syrian refugees remain registered across the region, many living in camps established during the large-scale displacement crisis that followed fighting in Syria and Iraq.
Refugee camp fire kills child, critically injures three in Sulaimani at a time when humanitarian organisations continue warning about pressure on camp infrastructure and reduced international funding for refugee support services across the region.
Aid groups have repeatedly raised concerns about overcrowding, ageing electrical systems and limited public services in displacement camps, particularly as long-term refugee situations continue without permanent solutions.
