$73 million in development projects approved for Halabja province
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region's Council of Ministers on Sunday granted approval for nine major development projects in Halabja province, valued at approximately 96.65 billion Iraqi dinars ($73.3 million), including the construction of a free trade zone, multiple infrastructure upgrades, and a new provincial building.
The decision followed a meeting between Halabja Governor Nuxsha Nasih and Omed Sabah, head of the Council of Ministers' Presidency Office.
Commenting on the decision on her Facebook page, Nasih described the projects as 'necessary' to 'better serve citizens.'
The projects include several road projects worth around 50.9 billion Iraqi dinars ($38.8 million), a combined road and sewerage project worth 14.4 billion Iraqi dinars ($10.9 million), and a memorial construction project budgeted at $16.3 million.
An additional 10 billion dinars ($7.6 million) was allocated to support border departments, including bulldozers, loaders, trucks, excavators, road rollers, water tankers, shovels, bobcats, graders, and trailers.
In April, Iraq's parliament officially recognized Halabja as the country's 19th province and the Kurdistan Region's fourth, passing a long-awaited bill during a session attended by 178 of the 329 lawmakers.
The Iraqi Council of Ministers had initially approved Halabja's status change in December 2013, separating it from Sulaimani province, but political disputes delayed the formalization for over a decade.
Halabja stands out as a potent symbol of Kurdish resilience.
On March 16, 1988, near the end of the eight-year Iran-Iraq War, the forces of toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein bombed Halabja with chemical weapons. The gruesome attack claimed the lives of at least 5,000 people - mostly women and children - and injured thousands more.
Of note, the Halabja chemical attack was part of the Baath regime's broader Anfal campaign in which more than 182,000 Kurds were killed.
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