Kurdish community in Portsmouth join together to mark anniversary of Halabja chemical attack

A memorial service was held on Castle Field in Southsea to commemorate the Halabja chemical attack that happened in 1988.

The atrocity took the lives of as many as 5,000 Iraqi-Kurds, in the town of Halabja, northern Iraq – and some survivors have made their home in Portsmouth.

Dozens of supporters, survivors and their families joined around the Halabja memorial Garden of Hope in Southsea to pay their respects to those who lost their lives in the attack.

The event was organised by Brian Futcher, who runs the Hiwa Centre in Buckland - a centre that allows Kurdish people to get advice and support when moving to the city, as well as English language lessons.

Brian said: ‘It is very important to remember them, even after all these years we won’t diminish their memory.’

‘We know that many events have been cancelled but I feel like there are certain things that are important to do and we will not allow it to be forgotten about.’

The 76-year-old has been supporting the Kurdish community for many years now and takes regular trips to Kurdistan, where he helps civilians.

In attendance were several members of the Kurdish community in Portsmouth, including Shapol Said, who is the founder of the Kurdish Home.

He lost a total of 154 family members during the conflicts in Iraq, including in the Halabja attack, with the youngest family member six weeks old.

He said: ‘We are a large community of people in Portsmouth. We would like to update our history with our new generation and our friends in Portsmouth. We try to tell people why we have fled from our country and have come here so they understand.’

Jhyan Khaykhasrow lost her father during the attack and said: ‘It is very important for everyone else to educate the young generation about our history.’