fal ▁gen o cide ▁or ▁other ▁ ▁events . ▁ ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf ▁war ▁and ▁consequ ent ▁re bell ions ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁when ▁supp ression ▁of ▁Kur d ish ▁re bell ion ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁was ▁initi ated ▁by ▁S add am ▁and ▁mass ac res ▁of ▁the ▁Kur d ish ▁population ▁appeared , ▁Turkey ▁ended ▁being ▁host ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Ira qi ▁Kur ds ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁days . ▁Four ▁days ▁later , ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁refuge es ▁had ▁died ▁from ▁expos ure . ▁One ▁month ▁later , ▁the ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁refuge es ▁returned ▁to ▁Ira q . ▁Following ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁u pr ising ▁of ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁people ▁against ▁S add am ▁Hus sein , ▁many ▁Kur ds ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁fle e ▁the ▁country ▁to ▁become ▁refuge es ▁in ▁border ing ▁regions ▁of ▁Iran ▁and ▁Turkey . ▁A ▁northern ▁no - fly ▁zone ▁was ▁established ▁following ▁the ▁First ▁G ulf ▁War ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁to ▁facil itate ▁the ▁return ▁of ▁Kur d ish ▁refuge es . ▁▁ 1 . 5 ▁million ▁Kur ds ▁were ▁disp la ced ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁u pr is ings ▁in ▁Ira q ▁with ▁cities ▁like ▁T uz ▁Kh orm ato ▁having ▁a ▁rate ▁of ▁disp lacement ▁as ▁high ▁as ▁ 9 0 %; ▁at ▁least ▁ 4 8 , 4 0 0 ▁of ▁Kur ds ▁star ved