ERBIL (Kurdistan Chronicle) — The 16th of March 2023 marks the 35th anniversary of one of the most brutal atrocities in history, the Halabja chemical attack. On this day in 1988, the regime of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein carried out a cruel and vicious attack on the Kurdish town of Halabja, killing an estimated 5,000 civilians and injuring more than 10,000.

The attack on Halabja came towards the end of the Iran-Iraq war, which had been raging for eight years. Saddam Hussein's regime had been using chemical weapons extensively throughout the conflict, but the attack on Halabja was particularly horrific. The town was bombarded with a deadly cocktail of chemical agents, including mustard gas and the nerve agent sarin.

On the 35th anniversary of the, like every year before, Kurds across the Kurdistan Region observe a moment of silence on the streets for those who perished in the 1988 chemical attack. This year, Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani renewed the call for reparation for the victims. 

“The crime of bombarding Halabja with chemical weapons by the most brutal regime in modern times shall eternally remain in our memory. It is the duty of the Iraqi government to begin a reparations process for Halabja. Salutes to the souls of the victims,” President Masoud Barzani wrote on Twitter. 

The effects of the Halabja massacre were devastating. The chemical agents caused people's eyes to melt, their skin to blister, and their lungs to fill with fluid. Many of the victims died within minutes of exposure, while others suffered agonizing deaths over the following days and weeks. The attack left a lasting impact on the survivors, many of whom still suffer from chronic health problems as a result of their exposure to the chemicals.

Kurdistan Region President also issued a statement to honor the victims and note that the anniversary reminds the world of the heavy sacrifices the Kurds have paid for freedom. 

“As we remember this horrendous tragedy and the innocent victims, we look forward to a better future. We will continue our work and efforts for unity and solidarity which will safeguard the achievements, the constitutional rights and the federal status of the Kurdistan Region,” Barzani wrote in the statement. 

A few days ahead of the 35th anniversary of the chemical attack, the Iraqi government finally completed the process of recognizing Halabja as a new province. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani issued a statement to welcome the decision and emphasize the need for the Iraqi federal government’s reparation of the victims of the attack and all those who suffered the brutal Baath regime before it was toppled in 2003. 

Despite the severity of the attack, it took several years for the international community to fully acknowledge what had happened in Halabja. The Iraqi government initially denied any involvement in the attack, and it wasn't until several years later that the true scale of the atrocity was fully exposed.

In the years since the attack, there have been several attempts to bring those responsible to justice. In 2005, Saddam Hussein himself was tried and executed for crimes against humanity, although he was not specifically charged for his role in the Halabja attack. Several of his top aides have also been tried and convicted for their involvement in the atrocity.

However, many survivors and activists feel that justice has not yet been fully served. The use of chemical weapons in Halabja was a clear violation of international law, and many feel that those responsible should have been held accountable by the international community as well as by the Iraqi government.