Hundreds of children, playing in front of their house in the morning, were killed instantly by cyanide gases. Some children fell down at the threshold of the door of their home, and never rose again. Along with Halabja, Khormal, Dojaileh and their surrounding villages were also chemically bombarded, but the centre of the catastrophe was Halabja. Over 6,000 people died in 48 hours, many thousand more were injured. The chemicals used in Halabja were mustard, nerve and cyanide gases, all are internationally banned weapons.
Cancer is commonplace.
In the labour ward, women are miscarrying. Many victims suffer from grotesque skin eruptions, crippling bone deformities, enormous malignant tumours and cases of severe psychosis. The hospital can only afford local anaesthetic. Children's diseases have increased between 1990 and 1998. The town of Kalar is one of the district centres of the new Kirkuk governorate, located approximately 65 Kms south east of Sulaimaniyah.