Anfal Campaign 36th Anniversary: FCDO minister's statement
The Minister of State for the Middle East honours the many Kurdish people in Iraq killed and injured during Saddam Hussein’s brutal military campaign.
On the 36th anniversary, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, said:
On this sombre day, we remember the men, women and children who were victims of Saddam Hussein’s inhumane, coordinated campaign against Kurdish and other minority groups in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq between 1986 and 1989.
The Anfal Campaign saw appalling acts committed, from the forcible displacement, murder, and maiming of 50,000-100,000 individuals to destroying 4,000 Kurdish villages.
On 16 March 2024, our staff at the British Consulate General in Erbil visited Halabja to pay their respects to the victims massacred during the 1988 Chemical Attack – Saddam Hussein’s most infamous use of chemical weapons against the Kurdish people.
Today we honour the memory of all those who were killed in this campaign, and my thoughts and prayers are with all their loved ones and survivors who suffer day-in day-out from this tragedy.
The UK remains committed in its support for the peace, stability and prosperity of the people of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Last updated 14 April 2024 + show all updates
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Update to language, amendment requested by Minister.
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First published.