65
the toxic truth
chapter 5
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted that: “The sites of Akouédo 1 and 2, Abobo Veneers and MACA have been treated. Despite the end of works on certain sites, odours persist forcing local residents to flee.”276 In the period after the dumping, the Ivorian state hired 30 psychologists to help people cope with the trauma.277 The government also launched a campaign to raise public awareness about the dumping and the health risks, with the stated aim of providing information for affected communities living near the dumpsites.278 This included announcements in the media, a dedicated website, free telephone numbers and field visits to affected communities.279 The government advice warned people to be vigilant about their children’s health, and said that no one should approach or handle the waste, and children should not play near it. The advice encouraged people to go to hospital or consult a doctor if they experienced any symptoms.280 A number of NGOs involved in the emergency response also participated in the effort to inform the population. For example, the Red Cross Society of Côte d’Ivoire sent volunteers to affected areas to disseminate information on measures to be taken in case people came into contact with the waste, and to make them aware of the health risks and how to protect themselves.281 However, as the public health crisis deepened, there were repeated demands by people in Abidjan for more information.282 Victims to whom Amnesty International spoke later said they had little or no response from government authorities when they requested further information about possible environmental and health impacts and how these were being assessed.283 Government efforts to inform and reassure the population of Abidjan were also hampered by a lack of information on the exact composition
of the waste or the likely medium- to longterm health implications of exposure. Various assessments of the emergency response have noted that the psychological impact was exacerbated by the fact that people did not know what the waste consisted of, and what risks it posed for them.284 For example, a group of psychologists who volunteered during the medical emergency between September and November 2006, and who treated almost 2,000 people, reported that people’s anxiety had been heightened by “rumours of side effects of toxic waste such as infertility… miscarriages, malformation, and generalized cancer.”285 A number of psychological problems were recorded, including insomnia, lack of concentration and asthenia (weakness, loss of strength), as well as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and generalized anxiety.286
Displacement As a result of the dumping, many people fled their homes and workplaces. The authorities recorded population displacements, including large movements of populations in the zones very close to dumping sites, such as Akouédo, the Lauriers 8 and 9, and Genie 2000 districts.287 The Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire conducted a survey of 809 households living in areas close to the dumping sites. Out of a total of 501 households affected by the toxic waste, 453 households answered the question related to relocation. The survey found that 114 households had to move away from their homes. Most of the households that had to relocate were based in Akouédo (45 per cent); 27 per cent of those who relocated left their neighbourhood but stayed in the surrounding area; 40.5 per cent left their area of residence; and 28.8 per cent left the city.288 No follow-up data on the situation of people displaced by the effects of the waste is available.