Shafaq News / The President of Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani expressed his regret on Monday that the federal government had not taken any step to compensate the governorate of Halabja for the damage caused to it and its residents by the chemical bombardment launched by the previous regime at the end of the eighties of the last century.

Barzani said in a statement, "32 years have passed today since the tragic chemical bombardment of Halabja by the former Iraqi regime, which resulted in the death of 5000 innocent citizens, the injury of thousands of others, the displacement of thousands of families from their homes, its serious effects on the health and psychological conditions of citizens and on the environment of this region. "

He added that "the commemoration of this anniversary is a glorification of the victims of our people, especially the martyrs who fell as a result of that tragedy, an expression of our constant affirmation to follow all means to prevent the recurrence of such crime and genocide against the people of Kurdistan and all peoples and components in any part of the world, whether Politically, religiously or racially, this goal calls on our part to promote unity and continuous cohesion. "

Barzani added by saying, "On this anniversary, we reaffirm the emphasis on giving more attention and a special kind to the life and service of the injured and families of the victims of chemical weapons, there is no doubt that we have much to accomplish in this context and in a manner befitting Halabja Governorate and its inhabitants."

The President of Kurdistan Region expressed his regret that "the Iraqi federal government has not yet taken any practical step towards material and moral compensation for the population and the destroyed and polluted environment of Halabja Governorate, nor for any other region in Kurdistan as victims of the practices of the Iraqi state," appealing to "the Iraqi government to fulfill its duty as a legal and moral responsibility in this regard. "

Barzani added by saying, "Humanity needs to work hard to prohibit and prevent the use of all types of weapons of mass destruction. Just as the entire world today is concerned with eliminating Corona virus as a serious threat to all of humanity, action should also be towards eliminating weapons of mass destruction and the technology of death is the whole world in order to protect life, the environment and human civilization. "

The President of Kurdistan Region concluded his statement by saying, "The martyrs of Halabja and all the victims of our people are always present in our memories and alive in the consciences of the Kurds. When we remember the martyrs with appreciation and honor, we look forward to the future."

The leader of the Democratic Party, Masoud Barzani demanded earlier the Iraqi state to compensate the families of the victims of Anfal, genocide and chemical shelling that the people of Kurdistan were subjected by the former regime.

Saddam Hussein's regime bombed Halabja city with chemical weapons in 1988, killing about 5 000 people within a few minutes, in addition to injuring about 10 000 others.