Layla Marufzadeh is displaying her medicine in April 2022. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than three decades after Saddam Hussein’s regime's chemical attack on Kurds in Sardasht city, western Iran (Rojhelat), victims suffer from lack of medicines to treat their injuries with and feel marginalised by the Iranian government.
April 29 is the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare. On this day, the victims of Chemical Bombing of Sardasht remember the time when they were subjected to a chemical attack by Iraqi Baath regime in June 1987.
In addition to losing their loved ones and the effect of the chemical substance on their bodies, it hurts the victims to see that they have been marginalised by the Iranian government.
"My body has been suffering from an allergy since then [attack]. I cough and have breathing difficulty. I have gone under surgeries for my joints and back. I get injections due to diabetics," Fatima Azizpur, one of the victims of the attack, told Rudaw.
Her constant coughing, difficulty in breathing, and lung disease remind her of the attack.
Layla Marufzadeh is another victim of the chemical attack.
"At the time [of the attack], the authorities could identify those people who were affected [by the chemical attack]. Regarding the medicine, we are provided with Iranian-made medicine which is less effective than the imported medicine," she told Rudaw.
As a result of the attack, 110 people were killed and thousands others were injured. However, the Iranian government has only registered 1,500 affected people and provides them with limited services.
Wahid Amini is a pharmacist. He said the victims receive most of their medicine for free.
"Most of their medicine is free but we charge them for those medicines that are not covered by their health insurance. We give them an invoice. They will take the invoice to the insurance office to be paid. Regarding lack of medicine, we have most of the medicines such as spray and any medicine a victim of chemical substance needs," he said.
Amini blamed US sanctions against Iran and the spread of coronavirus for the recent lack of medicine in the pharmacies.
April 29 is the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare. On this day, the victims of Chemical Bombing of Sardasht remember the time when they were subjected to a chemical attack by Iraqi Baath regime in June 1987.
In addition to losing their loved ones and the effect of the chemical substance on their bodies, it hurts the victims to see that they have been marginalised by the Iranian government.
"My body has been suffering from an allergy since then [attack]. I cough and have breathing difficulty. I have gone under surgeries for my joints and back. I get injections due to diabetics," Fatima Azizpur, one of the victims of the attack, told Rudaw.
Her constant coughing, difficulty in breathing, and lung disease remind her of the attack.
Layla Marufzadeh is another victim of the chemical attack.
"At the time [of the attack], the authorities could identify those people who were affected [by the chemical attack]. Regarding the medicine, we are provided with Iranian-made medicine which is less effective than the imported medicine," she told Rudaw.
As a result of the attack, 110 people were killed and thousands others were injured. However, the Iranian government has only registered 1,500 affected people and provides them with limited services.
Wahid Amini is a pharmacist. He said the victims receive most of their medicine for free.
"Most of their medicine is free but we charge them for those medicines that are not covered by their health insurance. We give them an invoice. They will take the invoice to the insurance office to be paid. Regarding lack of medicine, we have most of the medicines such as spray and any medicine a victim of chemical substance needs," he said.
Amini blamed US sanctions against Iran and the spread of coronavirus for the recent lack of medicine in the pharmacies.
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