Despite the fact that 33 years have passed since the chemical attack on March 16, 1988 by the deposed leader Saddam Hussein in the Iraqi city of Halabja, the human tragedy is not erased from memory. The pain of the deaths that came with the "smell of apples" in Halabja, which is regarded as a genocide against the Kurdish people, is still felt today with the same burning.
It has been 33 years since the bombing of Halabja with chemical weapons, but the pain of the Aleppo people who lost their relatives in the massacre and carried the deep traces of the attack continues as on the first day. The impact of the attack showed itself in the following years. While many people died due to the traces of chemical gases, many lost their eyesight or were disabled.
On March 16, 1998, under the command of Ali Hasan al-Mecid, who was known as "Chemical Ali" and his cousin, on the instructions of the leader of the Ba'ath regime Saddam Hussein, Halabja, which was located very close to the Iranian border, and The attack was carried out with bombs containing sarin gas.
As a result of the attack that took place at around 10.50 am in the center and nearby settlements of Halabja, the smell of apples started to spread in the city. While 5 thousand Aleppo people, unaware of the cause of the smell, lost their lives by stacking on top of each other in front of their homes or in their vehicles while trying to escape, 7 thousand were injured.
Those who remained began to flee towards the Iranian border, either by vehicles or on foot, fearing a second attack. Many children who lost their families at that time were given to or disappeared in Iranian orphanages. 74 families who were victims of chemical attack applied to relevant institutions in Iran and Iraq to find 179 missing children, but did not get any results.
The resident of Halabja, who lost his mother and siblings with the bomb thrown at his house in 1974, lost his sight as a result of the chemical weapons attack on Halabja on 16 March 1988, but got the name "Hope" because he survived both attacks, he is telling.
Ümit said that when they came out of a basement where they sheltered, they could breathe first, but gradually they started to lose their visibility and over time a blackout descended on their eyes.
"A white curtain closed my eyes, my knees were trembling too," said Ümit, and said that he felt powerless like all the people there due to the chemical attack and had difficulty in taking a step.
"IF A HUMAN DIES OF THE FEAR, I AM SURE I WOULD DIE AT THAT NIGHT"
Reminding that the city resonated with human voices and especially the cries of children, Ümit said that they decided to drive to Ababeyli village with their relatives and people at the scene.
Ümit, who stated that they spent the night in an area where they took shelter after moving about 500 meters by car, as the weather got dark, explained what they experienced that night as follows:
“It was a terrible night. Apart from crying, moaning and screaming, there was no other noise in the city. As time passed, children's voices were getting less and less. We understood that the child whose crying stopped was dead. I was 14 at that time and it was so horrible to see such an image at that age; I can't tell you. If one were to die in fear, I'm sure I would die that night. But obviously; nobody dies in fear. That is why I endured such a terrible massacre. "
Reminding that there were 25 people in the car, Ümit stated that only 4 people survived, including himself, and the rest were drowned in chemical gas.
REMOVED FROM THE CEMETER AT THE LAST TIME
Stating that he was taken to a second hospital afterwards and he could not recover for a long time, Ümit reminded that he was then taken to the cemetery with those who lost their lives.
Ümit said that it was noticed whether he was moving or not dead when he was about to be buried and that this moment was photographed by the people around before he was sent back to the hospital.
Stating that he named him Ümit because of his survival, Halepçeli said that he had survived the bomb of the Iraqi army on their home before.