Thirty-seven years have passed since Saddam Hussein ordered the Halabja (Helebçe)massacre on 16 March 1988, yet the scars of that day remain deeply etched in the lives of the survivors. As Kurds across Kurdistan gather to commemorate the victims of this atrocity, the enduring physical and psychological toll of the chemical bombing continues to haunt those who lived through it.
On 7 March 2019, a hospital for chemical weapons victims was opened in Halabja. However, it lacks sufficient medication to treat all victims, forcing some to seek treatment in hospitals across Kurdistan and abroad. Approximately 400 chemical weapons victims are currently receiving treatment in Halabja.
A recent report by Rojnews highlights the ongoing plight of Halabja’s chemical weapons victims. It says the chemical weapons hospital is ill-equipped for the job and cannot address the problems of the victims, who, after nearly four decades of unrelenting suffering, voice their frustration:
We are provided with outdated medications that do little to alleviate our pain or heal our wounds.
These words summarise the persistent neglect and the urgent need for comprehensive care and proper recognition of their suffering.
One victim, Perwin Ali, shared her harrowing experience with Rojnews, shedding light on the dire conditions and insufficient treatment at the hospital. Ali, who suffers from severe respiratory issues and chronic sleep disturbance, explained:
“No one checks on our condition. I struggle to breathe due to severe shortness of breath, yet no one has offered any assistance. I’ve spent a lot of money on my treatment, and I hoped the chemical weapons hospital would help, but it’s been futile.
“Since 2011, no one has followed up on our condition. We’re forced to buy all our medications out of our own pockets,” she added.
Another victim, also named Ali, highlighted the hospital’s inability to provide proper care:
“During my first visit, they gave me an oxygen pump, but the doctor soon told me to stop using it. On my second visit, I was prescribed a pill that made me extremely dizzy. When I checked, I found it was three months past its expiry date. After that, I stopped going back because the treatments were useless. Now I see private doctors once a month to get the care I need.”
The head of Halabja’s hospitals Azad Mustafa commented on the chemical weapon hospital:
“Patients in need of specialised care have to seek treatment at hospitals in Sulaimaniyah (Silêmanî) or Erbil (Hewlêr), as the facility here lacks the necessary medical staff and equipment to adequately treat victims of chemical attacks.”
Currently, 250 chemical weapons victims in Halabja require daily or weekly medical attention. Of these, 25 are at immediate risk of losing their eyesight and rely on ongoing, specialised medical care to manage their worsening conditions.
One of the lesser-known dimensions of the Halabja massacre is the displacement of 140,000 people, many of whom are still searching for their families, parents, brothers and sisters.
During the Anfal operations, the Ba’ath regime completely destroyed the nearby towns of Sirwan, Khurmal, Byara (Biyare) and Sayed Sadiq, forcibly relocating their inhabitants to other areas. After the regime’s chemical attack on Halabja, 25,000 houses were destroyed in that city too, and many refugees were arrested, tortured and deported by the regime upon the demolition of their homes, their release from jail or their return from exile.
Decades later, the wounds of dozens of chemical attack victims have yet to heal. Many victims are still dependent on constant medication and have to make frequent visits to hospitals both within and outside Kurdistan.
Related article:
Commemorating Halabja: Kurds continue struggle, demanding justice, recognition
