Halabjans Bemoan Pace of Development
Conditions for victims of Saddam’s brutality have little improved, despite efforts to improve local services.
Halabjans Bemoan Pace of Development
Conditions for victims of Saddam’s brutality have little improved, despite efforts to improve local services.
Even with its striking mountainous backdrop, Halabja is not a pretty place.
The town’s roads, most of them dirty and bumpy, have been compared to Africa’s. Houses are in decrepit state. Famished cows, their ribs visible from their thin frames, munch on garbage along the side of the road - just as they have for decades.
But while the poverty and underdevelopment remains clear for all to see, there are some signs of progress. Within the last year, new sewage and water systems have been built, and a few roads have been paved. It’s part of a multi-million US dollar initiative by the Kurdistan Regional Government to improve services in Halabja - a process that has moved at a snail’s pace, say both residents and officials.
Nearly two years ago, Halabjans staged a big protest over the lack of services, which ended with the town’s famed memorial to the victims of Saddam Hussein’s brutality being set on fire.
Almost ten years ago, five thousand locals were killed when Iraqi forces attacked the town with chemical weapons. Halabja was almost destroyed in the attack. But despite many promises, it remains a shadow of its former self.
Shortly after the demonstrations in March 2006, the KRG promised 30 million dollars for 15 service projects, most of which have not even started and only scratch the surface of Halabja’s reconstruction needs. Khdir Kareem, the head of Halabja’s municipality, estimates that Halabja requires about 500 million dollars to be fully restored.
“This town was destroyed by the Ba’ath regime. We’re starting from scratch,” said Kareem.
Earlier this year, Kareem declared 2007 “the year of rehabilitating Halabja”.
While Halabja residents maintain that not enough has been done for the town, some say they are happy to see any local development.
“In the past, the government was just giving promises without actually doing anything, but now they are doing something,” said Amir Star, a university student in Halabja.
Residents need more services and the development projects are progressing slowly, he said, “but at least things are moving along”.
“Before, [residents] were always given promises that were never fulfilled,” agreed Kwestan Akram, Halabja’s deputy mayor. “Now they see that we are working toward fulfilling some of the recent promises that were made.”
She reported that about 65 per cent of the city’s 56,000 residents are now linked to a sewage system, compared to only five per cent in 2003. One of the main projects to pave roads in one of Halabja’s biggest neighbourhoods is about 80 per cent complete.
Other projects, though, have barely progressed. The government has secured land for a hospital for Halabja’s chemical weapons victims, but the foundations have yet to be laid. Similarly a scheme to build 1,000 houses has yet to start.
Officials are even dragging their feet over the provision of adequate medical care for victims of the chemical weapons attack, who continue to suffer from cancers, respiratory and eye diseases.
Ako Saeed, the head of the Sharazoor health authority which covers Halabja, said local medical staff have repeatedly called on the government to improve health services here, but to no avail.
Dlawar Haidar, a coordinator with the Halabja Projects Follow-up Group, an independent watchdog monitoring government projects in the town, said official assistance has been poor.
“The government hasn’t rebuilt Halabja as it should have,” he said. “The projects are too small for the level of destruction in the town.”
“We don’t trust that the government can actually rehabilitate Halabja,” said Nesreen Mohammed, a 34-year-old school teacher. “They don’t really have a plan.”
Aziz Mahmood is an IWPR journalist in Sulaimaniyah.
The town’s roads, most of them dirty and bumpy, have been compared to Africa’s. Houses are in decrepit state. Famished cows, their ribs visible from their thin frames, munch on garbage along the side of the road - just as they have for decades.
But while the poverty and underdevelopment remains clear for all to see, there are some signs of progress. Within the last year, new sewage and water systems have been built, and a few roads have been paved. It’s part of a multi-million US dollar initiative by the Kurdistan Regional Government to improve services in Halabja - a process that has moved at a snail’s pace, say both residents and officials.
Nearly two years ago, Halabjans staged a big protest over the lack of services, which ended with the town’s famed memorial to the victims of Saddam Hussein’s brutality being set on fire.
Almost ten years ago, five thousand locals were killed when Iraqi forces attacked the town with chemical weapons. Halabja was almost destroyed in the attack. But despite many promises, it remains a shadow of its former self.
Shortly after the demonstrations in March 2006, the KRG promised 30 million dollars for 15 service projects, most of which have not even started and only scratch the surface of Halabja’s reconstruction needs. Khdir Kareem, the head of Halabja’s municipality, estimates that Halabja requires about 500 million dollars to be fully restored.
“This town was destroyed by the Ba’ath regime. We’re starting from scratch,” said Kareem.
Earlier this year, Kareem declared 2007 “the year of rehabilitating Halabja”.
While Halabja residents maintain that not enough has been done for the town, some say they are happy to see any local development.
“In the past, the government was just giving promises without actually doing anything, but now they are doing something,” said Amir Star, a university student in Halabja.
Residents need more services and the development projects are progressing slowly, he said, “but at least things are moving along”.
“Before, [residents] were always given promises that were never fulfilled,” agreed Kwestan Akram, Halabja’s deputy mayor. “Now they see that we are working toward fulfilling some of the recent promises that were made.”
She reported that about 65 per cent of the city’s 56,000 residents are now linked to a sewage system, compared to only five per cent in 2003. One of the main projects to pave roads in one of Halabja’s biggest neighbourhoods is about 80 per cent complete.
Other projects, though, have barely progressed. The government has secured land for a hospital for Halabja’s chemical weapons victims, but the foundations have yet to be laid. Similarly a scheme to build 1,000 houses has yet to start.
Officials are even dragging their feet over the provision of adequate medical care for victims of the chemical weapons attack, who continue to suffer from cancers, respiratory and eye diseases.
Ako Saeed, the head of the Sharazoor health authority which covers Halabja, said local medical staff have repeatedly called on the government to improve health services here, but to no avail.
Dlawar Haidar, a coordinator with the Halabja Projects Follow-up Group, an independent watchdog monitoring government projects in the town, said official assistance has been poor.
“The government hasn’t rebuilt Halabja as it should have,” he said. “The projects are too small for the level of destruction in the town.”
“We don’t trust that the government can actually rehabilitate Halabja,” said Nesreen Mohammed, a 34-year-old school teacher. “They don’t really have a plan.”
Aziz Mahmood is an IWPR journalist in Sulaimaniyah.
