Shafaq News – Al-Anbar

The Sunni Endowment Directorate in Iraq’s al-Anbar is facing a severe financial crisis that has left dozens of mosques without electricity or basic services, officials and community members told Shafaq News on Thursday.

Endowment officials described the situation as the “worst in years,” saying the budget barely covers salaries and leaves no funds for fuel or maintenance. For the first time, the Directorate was unable to supply generator fuel this year, forcing mosques in Ramadi, Fallujah, and Hit to operate with little or no electricity during peak summer heat.

“Most new mosques in al-Anbar were built with donations, not state funds, but without official support they quickly fall into neglect,” civil activist Ahmed al-Dulaimi said, urging a “clear partnership between the Endowment and local communities.”

Imam Abdul-Salam al-Mohammadi of Rahman Mosque, one of the province’s largest, said worshippers are sometimes asked to donate to keep generators running. “It is no longer just an administrative shortfall; it has become an obstacle to practicing religious rituals normally,” he said.

Sources noted that al-Anbar is among the hardest-hit provinces, with dozens of mosques awaiting reconstruction for years and others at risk of shutting down due to lack of funding. Activists warn the problem has become structural, not a one-year budget issue, leaving worshippers to bear the costs of keeping religious life going.