ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Iraqi parliament on Monday passed a bill for the accession of Halabja to province status, a move that was hailed by numerous officials in the Kurdistan Region, who congratulated the people of the city on the historic milestone.

The bill was passed after multiple delays and adjournments as a result of not meeting legal quorum, and demands from other Iraqi factions for the inclusion of various Iraqi districts in the bill.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani congratulated the "hard-working, oppressed and sacrificing" people of the city on the occasion. 

"I thank the members of the Council of Representatives [Iraqi parliament], and hope that finalizing the measures for ascending Halabja to a province will act as an initiative for better service to the people of this province," the premier wrote in a statement.

Located in northeastern Iraq, Halabja has been the subject of an identity crisis since 2014. Long considered a province in the Kurdistan Region but only a district under Sulaimani by the Iraqi state, the city had fought for its accession to provincial status in recognition of the blood price the city was forced to pay under the Baath regime.

On March 16, the anniversary of the chemical attack in 1988 that the city came under at the hands of the Baath regime, claiming around 5,000 lives, Kurdistan Region officials renewed their call for the ascension of Halabja to an Iraqi province, urging the parliament to expedite the process.

The ascension was also hailed by Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani.

"I extend my gratitude and appreciation...to the Iraqi parliament and every actor in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region who assisted and helped during this long process," He wrote in a statement.

Former Kurdistan Region President and Leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Masoud Barzani, for his part, thanked "the presidency, all members and factions" in the Iraqi parliament who had a "positive role" in the bills' passing. He hailed the Kurdish factions' unity in presenting a united front and congratulated the people of Halabja on the occasion.

The bill was initially submitted to the Iraqi parliament in 2023 by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. The draft was first read in the parliament in April 2023, followed by a second reading a month later in May 2023.

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Leader Bafel Talabani, took to X to mark the "historic day." 

"Like the proud citizens of Halabja, I am filled with joy as we finally achieve one of the goals we have long strived for," Talabani wrote.

Over 37 years after the tragedy, many survivors of the gas attack still deal with the mental and psychological ramifications of the attack, with many more suffering from health problems, and seeking medical treatments in and outside Iraq. The horrors of the genocide still haunt the city. 

Survivors and their families are still demanding compensation, claiming that the Iraqi government has acted complacent in rectifying the horrors that they endured under the former regime’s rule.

Halabja, with its estimated 200,000 residents, awaits the implementation of the bill-turned-law with cautious optimism.