PM Barzani commemorates 33rd anniversary of Halabja chemical weapons attack
"On the thirty-third anniversary of the chemical attack on the city of Halabja and its environs, we remember with reverence and glory the martyrs of this major crime committed by the Baath Party using prohibited weapons, which led to the death of thousands of innocent people and wounding thousands of others, while some of them are still suffering from the attack effects until now," Barzani said in a statement.
He added, "Halabja has been recognized as a global symbol for the struggle and sacrifices of the people of Kurdistan, and for this, we must remember the martyrs and victims of this crime and keep their memory immortal.”
“We are still making every effort for the Iraqi government to compensate the families of the martyrs and the injured, and we also work to prevent any sort of genocide against the people of Kurdistan and any other components in the world,” he added.
He said the Kurdistan Regional Government had decided in the past few days “to implement many service projects in Halabja in fields of transportation roads, bridges, water, electricity, and rehabilitation of schools and hospitals” to better serve the families of the victims of the attack.
"I hope that in the near future we will be able to serve Halabja and the rest of the Kurdistan Region even further," Barzani concluded.
On March 16, 1988, Iraqi warplanes dropped chemical weapons on the civilian areas in the city of Halabja, killing around 5,000 people and injuring almost 10,000 others. Kurds commemorate the massacre annually with special ceremonies to honor the victims.
The Iraqi High Criminal Court recognized the Halabja massacre as an act of genocide on March 1, 2010.
