A study published in 2019, entitled ‘Health perspectives among Halabja’s civilian survivors of sulphur mustard exposure with respiratory symptoms’, found that many have issues with their eyes and skin too.
At the grim memorial museum on the edge of the city, survivor Kishwar Mawlood, 54, recounts how doctors informed her that the chemical weapons attack was a contributory factor in her early cancer diagnosis.
“On the day of the bombardment, they used heavy bombs to break the glass so that the gas could penetrate into homes more easily,” testifies Kishwar. “After that they returned with chemical weapons.
“I stayed underground for nearly three hours in the afternoon, but then some of us came out, and we could still smell the gas. We started running towards a village on the edge of the city, and as we were moving, we started to feel dizzy.”
