A tribute to chemical attack victims: Halabja gateway monument close to completion

HALABJA — A new gateway project at the entrance to Halabja is nearing completion, part of a government initiative commissioned by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani to honor victims of the 1988 chemical attack.

The design features a circular structure with a monument intended as a symbolic tribute to the thousands killed and injured in the attack. Halabja, located about 75 kilometers southeast of Sulaymaniyah, was targeted by the former Ba’athist regime in one of the deadliest chemical strikes in modern history. The assault killed an estimated 5,000 people and injured more than 10,000, with long-term health effects still impacting the local population.

Al-Sudani approved the gateway project on March 16, 2024, during a memorial event marking the attack’s anniversary. Construction began in July and was initially scheduled for completion within 200 days.

Salah Hama Amin, the supervising project engineer, said only minor work remains. “The project’s budget is 1 billion and 937 million IQD (approximately $1.34 million), provided by the Iraqi government. Only some minor finishing details remain,” he told 964media.

Authorities plan to hand over the completed structure to local administrators in the near future.

On April 14, Iraq’s Parliament voted to formally recognize Halabja as the country’s 19th governorate, granting it full administrative authority under federal law and ending its decades-long affiliation with Sulaymaniyah Governorate.