ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdish leaders on Tuesday marked the 38th anniversary of the Anfal genocide campaign by the former Iraqi regime against Kurds, urging the Iraqi government to provide moral and material compensation for the campaign’s survivors and their families. 

President Masoud Barzani dubbed the campaign “a deep wound in the hearts of all the people of Kurdistan,” adding that “it is the most heinous crimes systematically and deliberately committed by the former Iraqi regime against the Kurdish people”

“Guarantees must be provided to ensure that such crimes against the people of Kurdistan are never repeated,” President Barzani said in a statement, holding Baghdad responsible for compensating the victims’ families.

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in a statement described Anfal as being “among the most brutal ethnic cleansing and genocide operations,” which resulted in “the disappearance and martyrdom of thousands of innocent people of Kurdistan and the destruction of thousands of Kurdish villages and rural communities.”

The Kurdish premier reiterated his call on the Iraqi government to fulfill its “moral and constitutional responsibility,” by providing “proper reparations” for the families of the victims of the brutal campaign.

Marking the anniversary of the campaign, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani paid tribute to the Anfal victims in a statement. “On this occasion, we bow our heads in respect and reverence for the pure souls of the martyrs, and we send greetings of loyalty to their resilient families and loved ones.”

“In accordance with the ruling of the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal, we reaffirm that it is the responsibility of the federal Iraqi government to provide material and moral compensation to the families of the victims,” he added.

The Kurdish population was subjected to various forms of oppression under the iron-fisted rule of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and the Baath regime, with the notorious Anfal campaign and the Halabja chemical attack being the two most notorious episodes.

Anfal, the eighth chapter of the Islamic Holy book of the Quran, was used as the campaign's codename, which directly translates to "spoils of war."

Over 182,000 Kurds were massacred in the eight-year-long campaign and thousands of Kurdish villages were destroyed and wiped out.

In 1991 Kurds arranged a successful uprising in which they were able to expel Baath forces from their territories with the help of the UN-mandated no-fly zone, hampering Hussein's efforts to carry out aerial attacks on northern Iraq and allowing for the entry of humanitarian aid. 

Kurdish officials have repeatedly sought compensation for the victims’ families. To date, the remains of thousands of victims are to be found somewhere in Iraq.