Today, Sunday, August 25, 2024, marks the 36th anniversary of the final phase of the Anfal campaign, known as the Badinan Anfal. This somber occasion commemorates the tragic events that took place between August 25 and September 6, 1988, when the Ba’ath regime launched brutal assaults on Duhok, Zakho, Amedi, Akre, and surrounding regions.
During this period, over 5,000 lives were lost, and approximately 60,000 people were forcibly displaced. The Anfal campaign devastated 663 villages, including 40 Christian villages, 81 Yazidi Kurdish villages, and 79 villages that were subjected to chemical attacks.
Thousands of individuals remain unaccounted for, their fates still unknown, casting a long shadow over the affected communities. The memory of those lost and the impact on the region remain deeply etched in the hearts of survivors and descendants, as they continue to seek justice and recognition for the atrocities committed during this dark chapter in Kurdish history.