ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq -  On the 37th anniversary of the Halabja chemical attack, which killed around 5,000 and wounded thousands more, Kurdish leaders urged Baghdad to ramp up efforts to prioritize the city’s ascension to a province and make reparation to the victims.

As Iraq-Iran was drawing to an end, on March 16, 1988, Halabja was bombarded with chemical gas by the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein, killing over 5,000 and injuring at least 10,000.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) declared Halabja as the Region’s fourth province in a decree in 2014, and in March 2023, the Iraqi Council of Ministers approved a bill to ascend Halabja to a province. The Iraqi parliament, however, has yet to pass the bill. 

“Until now, the Council of Representatives has not approved the process of the ascension of Halabja to a province," Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said. 

Prime Minister Barzani renewed his call that "no more negligence must be done against Halabja’s sacrifices and that they will have to be properly compensated, and Halabja's ascension to a province must be passed as soon as possible."

The Kurdish premier detailed that "37 years on, the wounds of this crime are still open. Therefore, it is our responsibility to work harder for the recognition of the Halabja, Anfal, and all the other crimes committed against the Kurdistan nation as genocide."

For his part, President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani urged Baghdad to hasten the process to make Halabja a province.

"The Iraqi government has to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities towards the victims and all its obligations towards Halabja and its residents and to provide them with justice. The Iraqi government should take all necessary measures to ascend Halabja into a province,” Barzani said.