Halabja dormitories face safety, hygiene concerns following inspection

HALABJA — A local oversight official has raised concerns over safety and sanitation conditions in student dormitories at Halabja University and affiliated technical institutes, citing non-functional fire safety systems and poor hygiene standards.

Falah Namik, head of the joint committees at the Halabja district office, told 964media that a recent inspection uncovered multiple deficiencies in both the male and female dormitories.

“As part of our extended field work, we visited both the male and female dormitories of Halabja University and its technical institutes to conduct thorough inspections and provide guidance,” Namik said.

He reported that fire alarms and extinguishing systems were not operational and that kitchens and bathrooms lacked basic health measures. In the male dormitory, inspectors found expired fire extinguishers, some of which had been used and never replaced.

“The district office will officially notify the Halabja governorate about the issue,” he said. “The necessary measures will be taken accordingly.”

The inspection comes amid wider concerns over student housing conditions across the Kurdistan Region.

In January, students at the Penji Aazar Dormitory in Ranya, part of Sulaymaniyah’s Raparin Independent Administration, staged a protest demanding improved infrastructure and reliable heating. The demonstration occurred during a period of severe winter weather.

In August 2024, authorities in Erbil’s Soran autonomous administration began enforcing stricter safety measures in student and faculty housing, following a deadly fire in December 2023 that killed 14 people and injured seven. The blaze, which broke out in a residential building primarily occupied by students and lecturers, prompted renewed calls for stronger fire safety standards in educational facilities.