Ethiopian Villagers Are Dying Because Of A Mystery Sickness, China Speculated To Be The Reason
A mystery sickness is haunting Ethiopians who are bleeding from their noses and mouths before dropping dead. The sickness has reportedly spread through villages near a gas project in Somali. It allegedly turns its victims eyes yellow causes a fever swelling and ultimately death. Other symptoms of the illness are yellowing palms a lack of appetite and sleeplessness.
A mystery sickness is haunting Ethiopians who are bleeding from their noses and mouths before dropping dead. The blame is being put on toxic waste from Chinese oil drilling.
The sickness has reportedly spread through villages near a gas project in Somali. It allegedly turns its victims' eyes yellow, causes a fever, swelling and ultimately death.
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Other symptoms of the illness are yellowing palms, a lack of appetite and sleeplessness.
According to The Guardian, Addis Ababa officials have denied allegations of a health and environmental crisis in the region. Though it is not clear yet what is causing the sickness, many believe that it is the chemical waste that is poisoning the region's water supply.
Daily Mail
¡°It is the toxins that flow in the rainfall from Calub (gas field) that are responsible for this epidemic,¡± Daily Mail quoted victim Khadar Abdi Abdullahi as saying.
¡°Without any public health protection, it is very clear that POLY-GCL uses chemicals that are detrimental to human health,¡± an adviser to the Somali regional government said.
China's POLY-GCL Petroleum Investments last year decided to build a 767-km Ethiopia to Djibouti natural gas pipeline to transport Ethiopian gas to an export terminal in the Red Sea state.
Daily Mail
Daily Mail reports that one former Chinese firm engineer alleged regular spillages of drilling fluids including sulphuric acid over the three years he worked onsite in Calub.
Another reportedly said ¡°Those indigenous to the land die from raw toxins spilled out of sheer carelessness. Operational companies in Calub have forfeited their duty to protect local people.¡±
However, it is also a possibility that the chemical spillages are historical and may be caused by some Ethiopian transport firms.
Authorities should immediately look into the matter at figure out the cause of sickness and give workers the medical treatment they need.
Fb Image credit: Alamy
