Eddie Izzard visits a Syrian refugee camp – in pictures

The Domiz refugee camp in northern Iraq, where Unicef is appealing for funds to expand its work to deliver clean water, education and specialist psychological support for children displaced by the conflict in Syria Photograph: Sharron Lovell/UNICEF UK

The Domiz camp for Syrian refugees was originally designed for 15,000 people, but is now home to at least 45,000. The number of Syrian refugees in Iraq is growing Photograph: Sharron Lovell/UNICEF UK

Comedian, actor and writer Eddie Izzard, a Unicef ambassador, visited the Domiz camp and met the Abdulhamed family who fled Damascus.
Left to right: Marwa (mother), Izzard, Ahee, Muhammed, Balqis and Xalel Photograph: Sharron Lovell/UNICEF UK

A young Syrian refugee makes her way to a primary school in Domiz camp. Thousands of children in the camp do not have places at school and Unicef is appealing for more funding to build more schools Photograph: Sharron Lovell/UNICEF UK

Camps like Domiz have seen a huge increase in Syrian refugees in Iraq; the numbers have tripled in the past six months and they are likely to double again to 350,000 by the end of the year Photograph: Sharron Lovell/UNICEF UK

Izzard with the Abdulhamed family who fled Damascus.
Left to right: Xalel, Muhammed, Izzard, Ahee and Balqis Photograph: Sharron Lovell/UNICEF UK

The comedian visited the 'Child-Friendly Space' at the Domiz camp, where children have a safe place to play and can receive specialist psychological support to help them cope with their experiences Photograph: Sharron Lovell/UNICEF UK

Access to clean water is a huge issue for Syrian refugees in Iraq, where summer temperatures are hitting 45 degrees. Unicef is working to get safe drinking water to everyone who needs it. However, the agency has only around a third of the funds needed to cover its work this year Photograph: Sharron Lovell/UNICEF UK

Among the families whom Izzard met in Domiz were a family with 10 children. They had been forced to flee Syria under gunfire, with just the possessions they could carry Photograph: Sharron Lovell/UNICEF UK