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UN team arrives to assess environmental damage

[Djibouti] Contaminated port at Djbouti FAO
Djibouti's contaminated port
A UN team has arrived in Djibouti to assess the environmental and humanitarian situation at Djibouti port, where a toxic pesticide began leaking out of shipping containers in January. The Djibouti authorities on Tuesday announced that the situation had been "brought under control", according to the Djibouti news agency (ADI). Environment Minister Abdallah Abdillahi Miguil told a news conference there had been a phased approach to try and contain the situation. "The first phase is an emergency phase and it is almost over," he said. "The second phase, which has not yet begun, is linked to an appeal we issued to friendly countries, as well as international and regional organisations, to help us with the expertise and the finances to tackle the pollution." The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) announced last month that 10 shipping containers in Djibouti port were leaking a toxic pesticide - chromated copper arsenate - which was causing serious health and environmental problems. The pesticide is used primarily as a wood preservative and is carcinogenic. According to the FAO, over 200 tonnes of the chemical were shipped from Britain for onward delivery to the Ethiopian Power Corporation. An FAO expert, Kevin Helps, said all previous shipments of the chemical had used steel drums, but this time plastic containers were used. "There is no doubt that the incorrect handling of the chemical has exposed many workers to unacceptable levels of this toxic material," Helps said. Abdallah told the news conference that the international response had been "satisfactory" and Djibouti hoped that experts would be able to determine the degree of toxicity and suggest measures to be taken. The Djibouti authorities had been in touch with the Ethiopian government regarding the issue, he added. Vladimir Sakharov, who is the deputy chief of UN-OCHA's emergency services branch and heads the environmental services section, said a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team had just arrived in Djibouti at the request of the government. "They will be working with the national authorities and the UN on the ground to understand the situation," he told IRIN on Wednesday. He described the situation as an emergency. "It is an environmental and humanitarian disaster," he said, adding that a number of people who had been affected by the toxic leak were undergoing hospital treatment.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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