37 Years On, Halabja Survivors Still Await Justice and Compensation

Iraq and the Kurdistan Region commemorated the 37th anniversary of the 1988 Halabja chemical attack, a massacre that killed thousands and stands among Saddam Hussein's worst atrocities, but frustration is mounting among survivors and residents.

Decades later, Halabja's residents continue to face poor public services under Kurdish authorities, high unemployment and unfulfilled political promises. Despite repeated pledges, Iraq's parliament has yet to formally recognise the gas attack as genocide or make Halabja the country's 19th province, and the Iraqi government has never apologised or compensated the families of victims.

Early on Sunday, the people of Halabja held a parade from the city centre to the Martyrs' Graveyard to honour the victims, but attendance was notably lower than in previous years, which many described as a silent expression of frustration. As another anniversary passes, survivors remain caught between historical trauma and political inertia. (The New Arab)