Co-leaders of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan sends a message to the people of Kurdistan as the nation commemorates the 32nd anniversay of Halabja massacre today March 16, 2020.

Below is the context:

"Once again, we remember the catastrophe of the chemical bombing and the commemoration of the martyrdom of the city of Halabja on 16/3/2020, when the fascist Ba'athist regime killed 5,000 of our children, elderly, women and men.
We in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan believe that Halabja is a sacrifice Qibla for the people of Kurdistan, and we all owe its martyrs and wounded, likewise we are indebted to the Anfal and all the martyrs of Kurdistan.

The alteration of Halabja into a province was attempted by the PUK, and our goal with the support of everyone faithful to our people, is to turn it into the capital of recovery and reconstruction of Kurdistan, and thus we will have a new and careful plan and work. We call on all cadres and institutions of PUK, the Kurdistan Regional Government, the federal government and international organizations to serve the families of martyrs and wounded of the Halabja catastrophe, and provide needed financial and humanitarian capabilities to reconstruct the Halabja Governorate.

In a bid to hamper coronavirus spread, the relevant authorities in Halabja Governorate did not carry out any activities this year to recall the tragic bombing of Halabja with prohibited chemical weapons, but we, like previous years, commemorate the tragedy and remember the martyrs in our hearts."

The Halabja attack was part of the Al-Anfal Campaign in Kurdistan Region. The attack has been recognized as a distinct event of genocide conducted against the Kurdish people by the Saddam regime. The Iraqi High Criminal Court recognized the Halabja massacre as an act of genocide on March 1, 2010.

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.