Remembering the Halabja tragedy: Calls for compensation to chemical bombing victims

Shafaq News / The network of organizations concerned with genocide in the Kurdistan Region (KRI) called on the federal government and the Regional government on Thursday to compensate and assist the victims of the chemical bombing that targeted the city of Halabja by the former Baath regime in 1988.

Jaza Ahmed, the network's representative, stated, "As we approach the 36th anniversary of the tragic events of Halabja, it was one of the worst crimes that shook humanity, claiming the lives of five thousand innocent civilians."

He added, "The chemical bombing of Halabja is not just a crime against the Kurdish people; it is one of the worst human crimes witnessed by humanity. Therefore, it is the responsibility of humanity as a whole to remember this tragedy with a sense of responsibility," stressing, "This heinous crime remains a deep wound in the history of the Kurdish people, representing an image of injustice and persecution towards our nation, immortal in our memory forever."

The network's representative called on Baghdad to "formally apologize to the victims of the chemical bombing and the victims of genocide in general."

He emphasized the necessity to "compensate the victims of the chemical bombing, increase financial allocations for them, declare their salaries, hold accountable individuals and companies that sold weapons to the toppled regime, prosecute those involved in that crime, and address all genocides suffered by the Kurdish people."

He also urged the Regional Government (KRG) to "respond to the demands of the people of Halabja, treat the victims, provide continuous medication, offer financial compensation for their treatment, supply treatment requirements, and preserve the dignity of the victims of the chemical bombing by providing suitable housing and living necessities, as well as expediting the reburial of the remains."

On March 16, the 36th anniversary of the chemical bombing of Halabja by Saddam Hussein's regime in 1988 will be commemorated.

The attack claimed the lives of more than 5,500 Iraqis, in addition to causing numerous serious injuries and birth defects, along with a dangerous spread of cancer diseases.

The Iraqi Supreme Criminal Court issued its final verdict in the case of the Halabja chemical bombing on January 17, 2010.

International reports indicate that the bombing of Halabja was part of a series of genocidal crimes committed by Saddam Hussein's regime in southern Kurdistan, where the Baath regime launched violent attacks against the Kurdish Feyli people, killing dozens and displacing thousands of them, with their fate still unknown.

In the early 1980s, the Baath regime buried 8,000 Barzanis alive during the Anfal campaign. More than 182,000 civilians were transferred to deserts in southern Iraq and brutally killed over a nearly four-year operation known as the Anfal campaign, destroying more than 4,000 villages in Kurdistan.

Halabja, with a population of 50,000, is located 15 kilometers from the Iranian border and is part of al-Sulaymaniya governorate in the Kurdistan Region.

It is situated 350 kilometers northeast of Baghdad, surrounded by several mountain ranges. Mount Hawraman overlooks it, separating it from Iran, and features a crystalline white summit covered in snow throughout the year.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced on March 13, 2023, the council's approval of a bill to establish Halabja Governorate, forwarding it to the parliament for a vote, However, the parliament has not yet voted on the bill.