Qaladze kindergarten remains unfinished over a decade, leaving children in makeshift facilities

QALADZE – Construction on a kindergarten in Qaladze’s Feramanbaran neighborhood, Sulaymaniyah, has been stalled since 2012 due to financial constraints, local officials confirmed.

Maryam Abubakr, the kindergarten’s director, explained that the original building, which had developed significant structural issues, was demolished in 2012. “The building was at risk of collapsing due to its age, and cracks had started to appear. In 2012, they decided to demolish it for reconstruction purposes,” Abubakr told 964media.

Though initial work on the new structure began, it was halted after only 40% of the building was completed. Since then, nearly 200 children from surrounding areas have been housed temporarily in cabins and a boys’ dormitory.

Mahmoud Hussein, head of the Pshdar Education Department, confirmed the project’s delay, citing insufficient funds. “We’ve made efforts to finish it, but no decision has been made yet. Once the budget is secured, we will resume work,” he said.

The financial crisis in the Kurdistan Region, which began in 2014 due to falling oil prices and budget disputes with Baghdad, has strained public services, including education. The region also faces the burden of hosting over a million internally displaced persons and refugees, further pressuring the budget.

Hussein emphasized the growing need for additional classrooms, noting that children from three different neighborhoods would benefit from the new facility once completed.