ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The office of President Masoud Barzani on Saturday stated that the Kurdish leader has directed relevant authorities to “never forget the sacrifices of Halabja,” and continue to provide the best services to the city of martyrs.

In a letter dated October 6, The Presidency of the Diwan of the Council of Ministers of the Kurdistan Region directed the Ministry of Municipalities and Tourism to take measures to build “a worthy park” in Halabja, as a gift from President Barzani.

Barzani Headquarters in a statement on Saturday reaffirmed President Barzani’s commitment to serving the people of Halabja.

“We would like to clarify to the dear people of Kurdistan and Halabja, that the responsibility for implementing projects and serving the dear citizens of Halabja and all other regions of Kurdistan falls on the government and relevant authorities,” read the statement.

“President Barzani's role, as always, is to direct the government and other parties to never forget the sacrifices of Halabja and to emphasize the need for all parties to provide the best services to all of Kurdistan, especially Halabja,” it added.

Omed Sabah Othman, president of the Diwan of Council of Ministers, on Monday stated that Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has approved the allocation of 25 billion dinars to projects across Halabja

As the Iraq-Iran War 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.

Iraq recognized Halabja as its 19th province in April 2025, following a decade of efforts by the Kurdistan Regional Government, which declared it a governorate in 2014, marking a historic achievement for the province and the broader Kurdistan Region.