Hundreds of people have required medical attention following a massive case of food poisoning outside the Iraqi city. UN officials have called for investigations to determine the cause of "tragic incident."
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At least two people have been killed and hundreds more requiring urgent treatment at a camp for internally displaced people outside Mosul on Tuesday following a major bout of food poisoning, Iraqi health authorities said.
"There are 752 cases of food poisoning and two deaths, a woman and a child," health ministry spokesman Seif al-Badr told AFP news agency. He noted that roughly 100 of those affected required serious treatment.
Iraqi authorities have launched a formal investigation into the incident, according to Iraqi lawmaker Raad al-Dahlaki, who heads parliament's immigration and displacement committee.
Al-Dahlaki said the compromised meal served for iftar, which marks the breaking of fast during Islam's holy month of Ramadan, included meat, rice, yoghurt, a bean sauce and water.
A Qatari charity organization donated the iftar dinner for 2,000 residents at the camp, reported Kurdish media group Rudaw. However, it is unclear whether the incident was deliberate.
How did Europe's refugee crisis start?
From escalating violence in the Middle East and Africa to incoherent asylum policy at home - DW looks at how the EU has found itself in the midst of a refugee crisis.
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Fleeing war and poverty
In late 2014, with the war in Syria approaching its fourth year and Islamic State making gains in the north of the country, the exodus of Syrians intensified. At the same time, others were fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Niger and Kosovo.
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Seeking refuge over the border
Vast numbers of Syrian refugees had been gathering in border-town camps in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011. By 2015, with the camps full to bursting and residents often unable to find work or educate their children, more and more people decided to seek asylum further afield.
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A long journey on foot
In 2015 an estimated 1.5 million people made their way on foot from Greece towards western Europe via the "Balkan route". The Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel within much of the EU, was called into question as refugees headed towards the wealthier European nations.
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Desperate sea crossings
Tens of thousands of refugees were also attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats. In April 2015, 800 people of various nationalities drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized off the Italian coast. This was to be just one of many similar tragedies - by the end of the year, nearly 4,000 refugees were reported to have died attempting the crossing.
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Pressure on the borders
Countries along the EU's external border struggled to cope with the sheer number of arrivals. Fences were erected in Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria. Asylum laws were tightened and several Schengen area countries introduced temporary border controls.
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Closing the open door
Critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" refugee policy claimed it had made the situation worse by encouraging more people to embark on the dangerous journey to Europe. By September 2016, Germany had also introduced temporary checks on its border with Austria.
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Striking a deal with Turkey
In early 2016, the EU and Turkey signed an agreement under which refugees arriving in Greece could be sent back to Turkey. The deal has been criticized by human rights groups and came under new strain following a vote by the European Parliament in November to freeze talks on Turkey's potential accession to the EU.
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No end in sight
With anti-immigration sentiment in Europe growing, governments are still struggling to reach a consensus on how to handle the continuing refugee crisis. Attempts to introduce quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states have largely failed. Conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere show no signs coming to an end, and the death toll from refugee sea crossings is on the rise.
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'Tragic incident'
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said it was concerned by the event, and called on authorities to investigate how the incident occurred.
"Extra clean water is now being provided at the camp and additional health agencies have been brought in to help in the response," the UN refugee agency said.
"We are waiting for the police investigations to understand clearly the chain of events and to draw lessons from this tragic incident which will allow agencies to reinforce public health protocols to prevent such situations in the future."
More than 800,000 people have fled their homes since October 2016, when Iraqi-led forces launched a massive operation to liberate Mosul from the self-styled "Islamic State" militant group.
