Farmers sceptical about compensation promises

Farmers in northern Iraq are resisting the culling of poultry by health officials following an outbreak of the H5N1 virus, or avian flu, saying they want compensation before killing their birds. “Farmers are afraid we aren’t going to compensate them for their losses, but we’re just waiting for the money to come through,” said Zanna Muhammad, head of the bird flu prevention drive in the local branch of the health ministry in Sulaimaniyah city. “We urge them to recognise that their health is much more important than keeping potentially deadly birds.” Earlier this week, the government provided details on its planned compensation programme. Tahssin Nameek, deputy minister of agriculture of the Kurdistan government, said nearly US $6 million would be allocated to farmers, but that the value of birds killed must be assessed before financial packages can be granted. According to the Ministry of Agriculture in Sulaimaniyah, more than one and a half million birds have been culled so far in the northern Kurdish areas, an area stretching from the Turkish border to about 150 km south of Raniyah. That was the village where the first human bird flu death of a teenager was confirmed on 17 January. A second death, the first victim’s uncle, was confirmed on 27 January. More suspected cases have been discovered since, with 13 blood samples taken from the southern governorate of Missan and another 13 in Sulaimaniyah, of which 10 are currently being tested at a World Health Organization (WHO) laboratory. The results are expected back on 25 February. A further 16 samples are also reportedly expected to be tested next week, but details on their origins remain unclear. Nevertheless, many farmers are reluctant to destroy their precious inventories, with some even questioning the gravity of the medical situation. “I don’t believe a duck can cause this disease,” said Sulaimaniyah farm resident Darhanish Yehia. “I will continue to let my son play with the ducks, and won’t let any person take them from us.” Those who have already culled many of their birds express little faith in government promises of reimbursement. “They culled 20 ducks and 40 chickens of mine, on which I had been dependant to feed my family,” Juanne Kader, a widow and mother of five said. “I went to the government three times asking for compensation, but they just say it will take time.” Meanwhile, a public awareness programme is alerting families and school teachers to the dangers of contact with infected birds. “We have so many ducks in our lakes and farms, especially in areas near Sulaimaniyah, and children usually play with them. This can be very dangerous for all family members,” explained Dr Ahmed Kabut, clinician for the prevention campaign in northern Iraq. “Ducks are much more dangerous in this area than chickens because they migrate and can easily carry the disease to other areas.” Government officials estimate that an effective prevention programme countrywide could cost as much as US $50 million.