In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Resilient people of Kurdistan… Kurds in the Diaspora,
Today marks 39 years since one of the darkest and most agonizing chapters in our nation’s history: the chemical bombardment of the Balisan, Sheikh Wasanan, and Khoshnawati Valley regions on April 16, 1987, by the former Iraqi regime.
This heinous crime was not merely a military assault; it was the beginning of a calculated and brutal campaign of genocide aimed at erasing the national identity of the Kurdish people—a campaign that later expanded into the Anfal operations and the chemical bombardment of Halabja.
The regime of that era not only used prohibited weapons to kill and wound the civilians of the region but also, in an ultimate act of inhumanity, buried dozens of the wounded alive after their arrest. This deep wound in our national conscience will never heal and remains a living testament to the oppression faced by the Kurdish people.
We, at the Kurdistani Diaspora Confederation, while solemnly honoring the victims of this catastrophe, reaffirm that as the voice of the Kurdish diaspora worldwide, we will continue to advocate for the international recognition of these crimes and preserve the memory of our martyrs. It is the duty of every devoted Kurd abroad to ensure that our nation’s suffering is never forgotten and to work tirelessly so that such a bloody history is never repeated.
We bow our heads in respect and reverence for the pure souls of the martyrs of Balisan and Sheikh Wasanan, and all the martyrs who fell on the path to Kurdistan’s freedom. We express our eternal solidarity with their proud families.
Kurdistani Diaspora Confederation
April 16, 2026