Outstanding health and decontamination problems relating to the dumping in August 2006 of 500 tonnes of toxic waste in the Côte d’Ivoire city of Abidjan by a ship belonging to a Dutch company need urgent attention, an independent investigator has told the United Nations’ human rights body.

“There seems to be strong prima facie evidence that the reported deaths and adverse health consequences are related to the dumping of the waste from [the ship] Probo Koala,” said Okechukwu Ibeanu, the UN’s special rapporteur on the adverse effects of the movement and dumping of toxic and dangerous products.

Many people are still experiencing health problems, he said, “especially those living near the dumping sites.”

Professor Ibeanu told reporters that the long term environmental consequences …