By: S. Rowan Wolf
This Work is licensed under a Fair Share Creative Commons License
On December 26, 2004 a massive tsunami struck. For days the world watched horrifying scenes of the devastation, the search for survivors, the identification of the dead. The world poured out donations to speed the needed disaster response to the region. One would think that the natural disaster would be bad enough, but an older man made horror swept in with the towering tsunami - toxic and radioactive waste - which is sickening hundreds (if not thousands) of Somalian's. An ongoing utilization of Somalia (and other poor nations) as a dumping ground for toxic and radioactive waste dumping is a devastating aftermath of the tsunami.
There have been spotty reports on this issue, but it is largely being kept off the headlines. Most of the recent reports stem from a U.N Environmental Programme report released in March of 2005.
The impact of the tsunami stirred up hazardous waste deposits on the beaches around North Hobyo (South Mudug) and Warsheik (North of Benadir). Contamination from the waste deposits has thus caused health and environmental problems to the surrounding local fishing communities including contamination of groundwater. Many people in these towns have complained of unusual health problems as a result of the tsunami winds blowing towards inland villages. The health problems include acute respiratory infections, dry heavy coughing and mouth bleeding, abdominal haemorrhages, unusual skin chemical reactions, and sudden death after inhaling toxic materials.
Toxic and radioactive waste? Where did that come from? Well it is a long story that is short on specifics. Prior to the late 1980's, rich nations regularly dumped their toxic and radioactive wastes into the ocean. With increasing awareness about the damage caused to marine environments and life, and to humans eating from those damaged environments, international controls began to be implemented to stop the practice. Much of the waste was sludge (frequently contaminated), and other toxic wastes (barrels of chemicals and radioactive materials). New procedures came into play which increased the cost of disposal. Third World nations (and the oceans off their shores) became a cheap dumping ground.
According to the U.N.E.P., 90% of the toxic waste is generated by the rich nations. The production of hazardous waste is an increasing problem, and its disposal is more an more frequently crossing international borders.
Somalia (and its ocean area) became a prime site for dumping when civil war and the collapse of the government created an environment of economic and political chaos. There was virtually no organized control, and various groups of war lords were open to some money in exchange for some "trash" being buried in their domain. It is reported that, at least in Italy, the Mafia may actually been directly involved in the commerce in illegal waste dumping in Somalia.
While few names are being named (either in older or more recent reports), it is clearly implied that it is private corporations who were primarily involved - not nations and the Mafia. Private corporations seeking to evade the costs of cleanup of their own waste, or the proper disposal of it in the U.S., Canada, or Western Europe, took the deadly stuff where they thought no one would ever notice. Or if someone did notice, it could never be tracked back to them.
Then the tsunami struck and wrenched the leaking mess from the seabed and onto the shores of Somalia. There it has contaminated water supplies, seeped into the soil, and blows around free. It sits there, a sad testament to greed and lack of accountability. The people sicken with symptoms characteristic of chemical poisoning and radiation sickness. This is not going to just go away. It will effect those now living, and it will certainly effect the next generation (and beyond).
Not only that, but another disaster lurks - scientists are predicting another tsunami within a year. While another tsunami lurks waiting for a major fault shift to set it off, a potentially more lethal threat lies in the mess resting on the seabed.
To save Somalia from the ravages of others toxic waste, a massive environmental cleanup is necessary. Not just the beaches and burial spots need cleaning, but the remaining dump zone sitting off Somalia's coast. It is clear that it is not just Somalia impacted here, and the UN has called for an investigation into the illegal dumping. In my opinion, that investigation should include locating where materials have been dumped and who dumped them. Those who engaged in the dumping (whether corporations or nations) should be held directly accountable for the cleanup and the effects of their practices.
3/12/05 Arabic News.com, Dangerous wastes effecting Somalia due the tsunami
3/16/05, Green Left Weekly, SOMALIA: EU toxic dumping a post-tsunami disaster
U.N. Environmental Program, Tsunami Reports - Somalia
3/04/05 Al Jazeera, Tsunami exposes Somalia toxic waste
3/04/05 Clayton, Times Online, Somalia's secret dumps of toxic waste washed ashore by tsunami
3/02/05 BBC, Waves 'brought waste to Somalia'
3/15/05 Ryu, VOA, Waste Dumping off Somali Coast May Have Links to Mafia, Somali Warlords
3/09/05 VOA, Somalia Calls for UN Investigation of Toxic Waste
Trade & Environment Database, Somali Waste Imports
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