Kurdistan Region begins to replace 6,000+ books lost in Chamchamal floods

Shafaq News– Al-Sulaymaniyah

The Kurdish Ministry of Culture on Wednesday received more than 6,000 books in preparation for their transfer to Chamchamal within Al-Sulaymaniyah province, as part of a broad campaign to compensate for cultural losses caused by the December 2025 floods.

The Director-General of Public Libraries in Iraqi Kurdistan, Diari Wasta Aziz, said in a press conference that the directorate had launched a region-wide campaign across eight public library departments to collect publications, adding that estimates indicate around 20,000 books and reference materials were lost as a result of the incident.

“More than 15,000 books have been collected so far, with the campaign continuing to recover the city’s full knowledge base,” he revealed.

Between December 9 and 12, 2025, record rainfall triggered flash floods across Al-Sulaymaniyah province, damaging more than 1,000 homes in Chamchamal alone, and cutting roads.