Barzan district commemorates Anfal victims by planting 8,000 oak trees

BARZAN, December 30 — The Barzan Environmental Protection Directorate is set to plant 8,000 oak trees on Saturday in the district’s center as a symbolic tribute to the victims of the Anfal genocide and to commemorate members of the Barzani clan who were massacred or disappeared by the former Ba’ath regime.

Sadiq Hassan, Director of Media and Communications at the directorate, told 964 that the tree planting ceremony would take place at the monument dedicated to the Anfal victims of Barzan.

Beyond the symbolic gesture, Hassan highlighted the environmental impact of the initiative, stating, “Planting these trees is not only a tribute to the victims but also has a positive impact on climate change.”

While Barzan is naturally endowed with oak trees, the site selected for the tree planting currently has a low concentration of the endemic tree, which motivated the initiative to enhance the greenery in that particular area.

Sadiq emphasized that the directorate, along with the management staff of the Anfal victims’ monument in Barzan, will take responsibility for monitoring and maintaining the planted trees.

The Anfal genocide, initiated in 1983 by the former Ba’athist regime, involved the abduction of approximately 8,000 Kurdish individuals in Barzan district, including men, women, and children. They were forcibly transported to the deserts of southern Iraq, where they were buried in mass graves. This was part of a broader genocidal campaign against Kurds, which led to the death of over 182,000 people and the destruction of more than 5,000 villages.