Spring, 1991.

In the aftermath of the First Gulf War, as Saddam Hussein’s forces brutally crush the Kurdish uprising in northern Iraq, two million Kurds escape into the freezing mountains. The world watches on in horror as images of death and starvation reach television screens.

Meanwhile, in Whitehall, two diplomats – aided by a Kurdish refugee – fight to convince the British government that it is their moral duty to intervene before it is too late. 

Based on historic events, this sweeping new play reveals how moral conviction and diplomatic resolve sparked Operation Safe Haven – the unprecedented mission that prevented a genocide.

Written by Chris Bowers, former British diplomat in Iraqi Kurdistan, Safe Haven weaves narratives of political decision-making together with stories of Kurdish endurance in a compelling exploration of courage, conscience and humanitarian intervention.