Villagers plant 200 oak trees after 200-year-old oak tree is destroyed in Rezhna village

SULAYMANIYAH, January 2 — Residents in Darbandikhan’s Rezhna village are organizing a tree-planting activity this week after a 200-year-old oak tree was deliberately set on fire last month.

Residents issued a public statement saying, “We have decided to carry out the initiative on January 4, and those desiring to join the campaign from Sulaymaniyah have been provided transportation.”

Halwest Abdullah, Deputy President of Azadbun Organization, said villagers are looking for more support from local authorities to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“Although the individual responsible for the tree’s arson was apprehended by the police, he was subsequently released on bail. Residents are now demanding local authorities protect their environment, and we ask the court to issue the appropriate punishment for the individual,” Abdullah said.

The destruction of the 200-year-old tree has reportedly left an impact on both the community and the environment. Abdullah underscored the significance of planting 200 oak trees, one for each year of the lost tree’s age.

Organizations collaborating in the tree-planting effort include Azadbun Organization, Kurdistan Nature Organization, Kurdistan Board for Strategic Studies and Scientific Research, and Darbandikhan Loyalists Organization, alongside other environmentalists.