Funding shortfalls halt Anfal genocide memorial construction
Shafaq News/ A memorial to the victims of the Anfal genocide has been delayed due to funding issues, a US report revealed.
According to Voice of America radio, 'The German Cooperation Organization pledged $1 million for the $2 million project, but the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has yet to provide its share.'
A project officer with the German Cooperation Organization, Ziad Faiq, explained, 'We've raised $1 million so far, and the KRG has agreed to cover the remaining costs. $17,000 has been spent on the memorial's design,' adding that a German donor contributed $35,000 for the memorial, which was deposited with the organization.
'Once completed, the memorial will be handed over to the KRG,' he announced.
'However, due to the KRG's failure to allocate the necessary budget for the memorial's completion, the donor withdrew the funds,' Faiq indicated.
The memorial was created by German and Mexican designers, who visited Chamchamal several times to ensure the design aligns with the scale of the Anfal tragedy. Their design draws on the survivors' suffering and tragic stories, he stated.
The KRG has allocated 13 dunums of land in the Rizgari area near Kirkuk for the memorial, though this land remains reserved and not yet definitively assigned, the American report pointed out.
Ahmed Majid, an Anfal activist, said, 'Four designers submitted their proposals for the Anfal memorial to the Kirkuk administration. We continue to work hard to ensure the project's completion, so it reflects the magnitude of the Anfal tragedy.'
It further stressed that activists and officials are pushing for the memorial to reflect the scale of the Anfal tragedy, where more than 500 victims were buried in the area, but disagreements and delays persist.
Despite the existence of a memorial symbol in Rizgari, many survivors and victims' families believe it fails to adequately represent the enormity of the Anfal genocide.
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