Iraqi minister admits gas flaring cancer link

Iraqi Environment Minister Jassem al-Falahi has acknowledged that pollution from oil production is the main reason for increases in local cancer rates.

His comments revealed that communities living close to oil fields near Basra are at elevated risk of leukaemia.

These communities suspect gas flaring – the “wasteful” burning of gas released in oil drilling – is to blame.

Flaring produces cancer-linked pollutants like benzene.

The environment minister’s comments come despite a confidential order issued by the Iraqi prime minister banning its employees from speaking about health damage caused by pollution.

They also directly contradict previous comments by the Minister of Oil, Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar Ismail, in which he denied all links between the cancer rates and air pollution from oil.

Communities living near oil fields in Basra have long suspected that their high rates of leukaemia are due to gases being flared on the oil fields.

Flared gases from these sites are dangerous because they emit a potent mix of carbon dioxide, methane, and black soot which is highly polluting.

During his interview, Al-Falahi also revealed that the oil ministry had previously prevented his staff from carrying out pollution monitoring checks at the largest oil field, Rumaila.