'I survived a chemical weapons attack'

The outcry about what appeared to be a mass chemical attack in Syria in August has raised awareness of the damage that can be inflicted by chemical weapons.

The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner spoke to Kamaran Haider, who was 11 years old when the bombardment of Halabja in Northern Iraq began in 1988.

Mr Haider explained how he and his family sought shelter from the chemical weapons attack.

"It was a miracle I survived... I stayed in the shelter among the bodies for three days without water or food," he said.

"I was severely poisoned by chemical weapons. I was completely blind, all my skin burnt."

First broadcast on the Today programme on Thursday 12 September.