The residents of Hamrawin village in the Red Sea’s area of al-Quseir are suffering from a serious health and environmental crisis, as the region’s sky is clouded with phosphate dust, which has caused dozens of people to sustain silicosis and other respiratory diseases, with many others obliged to sell their homes and leave the area to escape the pollution.
Phosphate-exporting companies in the Hamrawin seaport continue to operate, disregarding all recommendations and prosecution referrals concerning the required environmental precautions.
An environmental report prepared by several Red Sea natural reserves and the local branch of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency has warned against the health and environmental consequences of phosphate emissions on the residents of al-Quseir.
Also, a field inspection conducted by environmental authorities had concluded that the seaport violates environmental regulations, adding that the phosphate emissions’ impact extends to several kilometers away, affecting marine life.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
