“Ali is not compensated with money, but I demand my rights.” An Iraqi sues a British oil company for

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Economy News - Baghdad
 
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[rtl]Iraqi Hussein Jalloud, who lost his son after a struggle with leukemia, is seeking to win a legal battle against the British company BP, because he believes that his son's illness was caused by burning gas in the largest oil field in Iraq.[/rtl]
[rtl]Jalloud, who is burdened with debt, is requesting that the company, which was known as British Petroleum, pay him compensation to cover his son’s treatment expenses, including his chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, then the funeral of Ali, who died in April 2023 at the age of 21.[/rtl]
[rtl]Jaloud (55 years old) says from his modest home near the Rumaila field in Basra Governorate in southern Iraq: “Ali will not be compensated with money or more than money, but what I am asking for is my right.”[/rtl]
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[rtl]He adds that his action against the giant British oil company "is not only for the sake of Ali, but also for the poor, the injured, and those who died in the region." [/rtl]
[rtl]On April 22, Jalloud sent a letter to the company explaining his claim, but if an agreement is not reached or he does not receive a response that satisfies him, the second stage will include procedures before the court, according to the law firm “Hausfeld & CO,” which represents the grieving father. [/rtl]
[rtl]BP is one of the largest and oldest oil companies operating in Iraq, and one of the largest crude producers in the world, and has been present in Mesopotamia since the 1920s.[/rtl]
[rtl]The company operates in the Rumaila field in partnership with other groups, including the state-owned Basra Oil Company.[/rtl]
[rtl]In 2022, in an investigation into the high risk of cancer near Iraqi oil fields, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) documented the life of Ali Jalloud, a football enthusiast, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2016.[/rtl]
[rtl]His father narrates that during his meeting with the doctor, the latter asked him where the family lives, and when he answered that it was near an oil field and gas burners, he replied: “This is the reason why Ali got cancer.”[/rtl]

[rtl]Carcinogenic emissions[/rtl]

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[rtl]BP did not respond to AFP's request for comment, but it said in statements in response to the BBC that it "was never the operator of the Rumaila field, but rather received fees in the form of allocations from crude oil in exchange for the technical services it provided."[/rtl]
[rtl]She expressed "deep concern" about what was stated in the BBC report, stressing that she is "working with partners in Rumaila." She indicated a 65 percent decrease in gas flaring over the past seven years, and that work is continuing to achieve an additional reduction.[/rtl]
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[rtl]Gas flaring is the disposal of natural gas associated with oil extraction, and is a primary source of air pollution through emissions of carbon dioxide, raw methane, and black carbon.[/rtl]
[rtl]Greenpeace - Middle East and North Africa warned in a statement last month about the Jalloud case that burning gas produces “a large number of pollutants linked to cancer, including benzene.”[/rtl]
[rtl]Every time Jalloud opens the door of his house, the first thing he sees are burning gas torches and thick black smoke, stressing that seeing every day what he holds responsible for his son’s passing creates a “sad feeling” in himself.[/rtl]
[rtl]In front of his house, children are playing football or riding their bicycles, unaware of the danger threatening them in the air, according to the grieving father.[/rtl]
[rtl]In 2022, the total amount burned reached 139 billion cubic meters around the world, according to World Bank data.[/rtl]
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[rtl]Iraq is the second country after Russia that burns associated gas globally, and the total amount burned in 2022 reached about 18 billion cubic meters, according to the same source.[/rtl]
[rtl]In 2017, Iraq joined a global initiative launched by the World Bank, requiring it to stop burning gas by 2030. [/rtl]
[rtl]The government in Baghdad confirms its endeavor to stop burning associated gas and exploiting it to operate power plants, which will reduce its dependence on gas imported from Iran, which is necessary for producing electricity. [/rtl]
[rtl]Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani announced in May that he seeks to end the burning of associated gas within 3 to 5 years, to “stop the devastating environmental effects of this process.”[/rtl]
[rtl]The Iraqi Ministry of Oil provides support to the health sector in the country, including Basra Governorate, which is known for oil production. In February, the Ministry of Health announced measures to combat cancer, including an agreement with the Basra Oil Company to build an oncology center. [/rtl]
[rtl]Jalloud, a father of seven children, was forced to sell gold jewelry and home furniture, and obtain a bank loan, in addition to borrowing from friends, to cover Ali’s treatment and then his funeral. [/rtl]
[rtl]He says that, like others, they live near the oil field, but their financial capabilities do not allow them to move elsewhere. [/rtl]
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[rtl]The law firm representing Jalloud reported that according to Iraqi law, oil refineries are prohibited from being located less than 10 kilometers from a residential area. But "evidence" in the Rumaila field indicates that gas burning takes place only 5 kilometers from residential complexes. [/rtl]
[rtl]Jalloud says: “We live here despite the difficulty and fear of this disease,” noting that he believes that many people in the region have contracted cancer as a result of burning gas.[/rtl]
[rtl]He added: "The goal of this call (against BP) is not only against me, but rather to reduce (burning) gas, provide free medical supplies to patients, and help the poor who are unable to move to another place."[/rtl][/size]

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Added 05/19/2024 - 11:58 AM
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