KRG launches $19M development plan in Halabja
Shafaq News – Halabja
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has launched new service and investment projects in Halabja worth 25 billion dinars (about $19 million), KRG Council of Ministers’ Office’s head, Omed Sabah, announced on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference, Sabah said the plan includes employing 500 people under a previous government decision and hiring an additional 250 workers. He also confirmed that the Sazan border crossing with Iran will open for local trade, with plans to upgrade it to an international crossing in the near future.
Sabah added that compensation for Halabja’s victims will be handled by a special committee that will submit its recommendations to the Iraqi government. A new health committee will also be established to provide medical care for survivors of chemical attacks, in line with a KRG decision.
On March 16, 1988, Iraqi fighter jets bombarded Halabja for five hours, leaving 5,000 dead, mostly women and children, and thousands more injured.
He said several investment projects are planned to transform Halabja, which became Iraq’s 19th province earlier this year, into a tourism and economic hub that strengthens local development.
Halabja Governor Nukhsha Nasih noted that these initiatives were launched under the previous cabinet and confirmed that the current government will continue implementing them to expand public services in the province.
