For decades under the previous Iraqi regime, the people of Kurdistan suffered crimes including genocide, forced displacement, and the systematic erasure of their identity.

Official statistics and financial assessments estimate the damages inflicted on the Kurdistan Region at hundreds of billions of dollars. To this day, the federal government has not fulfilled its obligation to compensate the victims.

The Bloody Milestones of the Previous Iraqi Regime’s Crimes

1. Feyli Kurds (1970): In a racially targeted campaign, around 300,000 Feyli Kurds were forcibly deported to Iran, and 9,000 of their young members disappeared. The regime also seized all their property and wealth.

2. The Barzani Genocide (1983): Approximately 8,000 Barzani men and youths were brutally buried alive in the deserts of southern Iraq.

3. Chemical Attack on Balisan and Sheikh Wasan (1987): The regime’s first use of chemical weapons killed 134 civilians. An additional 82 wounded men were arrested and buried alive.

4. The Anfal Campaign (1988): The largest act of genocide against the Kurds, during which 182,000 civilians disappeared and 4,500 villages were completely destroyed.

5. The Halabja Catastrophe (16 March 1988): The city was subjected to a chemical weapons attack, killing 5,000 people and injuring 10,000 more.

Financial Damage Assessment

Scientific and financial evaluations estimate the damages inflicted upon the human, material, and environmental infrastructure of the Kurdistan Region as follows:

- Human losses: Over USD 306 billion
- Material losses: Approximately USD 33 billion
- Environmental and indirect damages: USD 10 billion
- Losses due to deliberate neglect and systematic marginalisation: USD 30 billion
- Reconstruction costs: USD 5 billion

Constitutional Obligations and Federal Government Responsibility

Articles 112 and 132 of the Federal Constitution of Iraq clearly mandate that the Iraqi government compensate those affected by the previous regime, including the people of Kurdistan. Yet, more than 23 years after the regime’s fall, no substantive steps have been taken to provide either material or moral compensation.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) continues its legal and diplomatic efforts to enforce these constitutional rights. It calls on the Federal Government and the international community to fulfil their legal and moral responsibilities and ensure justice for the people of Kurdistan.