A father begins a legal battle against the oil company BP over the death of his son who fell ill with cancer

“I just hope that whoever hears my voice, from BP, considers my situation. “I don’t just represent myself, I also represent the poor people who live here and suffer from pollution.”

Who is speaking is Hussein Juloodan Iraqi who took legal action against British oil giant BP over the death of his 21-year-old son.

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Julood alleges that gas flaring in an oil field managed by BP in Iraq caused leukemia in his son Ali.

A BBC investigation in 2022 found that the village of Ali, located within the camp, had high levels of carcinogenic pollutants from burning gas.

BP said it understands “the concerns” and supports change.

This is believed to be the first case in which an individual has taken legal action against a major oil company for its gas flaring practices.

The letter of complaint, seen by the BBC, alleges that Ali’s leukemia and subsequent death were caused by “toxic emissions from the Rumaila oil field”and that BP is partially responsible as prime contractor.

The burning of gases in the Rumaila oil field in Iraq and its effects on the health of its neighbors were the subject of a BBC investigation. (GET IMAGES).

Julood is seeking compensation for the costs of her son’s medical treatment, which included chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants abroad, as well as for her son’s lost income, funeral expenses and “moral loss.”

Wessen Jazrawi, partner at Hausfeld & Co, which represents Julood, said: “This is an important example of environmental litigation seeking compensation for the harmful emissions of a large carbon emitter. These companies have generally been able to carry out harmful environmental practices with impunity, especially in the global south.“.

Burning waste gases in oil extraction is dangerous to human health, as the gas can contain a mixture of harmful cancer-causing chemicals, such as benzene.

The Rumaila oilfield has the highest documented flaring levels in the world, according to BBC analysis of World Bank figures.

For Hussein Julood, one of the crucial objectives of his complaint is to end the regular fires in Rumaila so that more families do not suffer.

“It was my backbone.”

Ali was just 15 years old when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.which forced him to undergo two years of treatment that included multiple cycles of chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant and radiotherapy.

His father claims that he was a big football fan and enjoyed school, but after so many hospitalizations he was unable to return to class. In 2021, when it was confirmed that his cancer was in remission, he became excited about the future and opened a phone store.

A year later, it was discovered that he had relapsed. His father desperately tried to raise funds to send him to India for experimental treatment. Although, Ali passed away on April 21 last year, before being able to make the trip.

“It was a very sad year for the family. For me and for his mother and for his brothers too. Ali was an unforgettable person, he was my backbone, I depended on him in my work, in my life and for everything in the house Every day we live is sad,” Ali’s father told the BBC.

Ali passed away last year after battling cancer for 6 years. (JESS KELLY/ BBC).

In 2021, Ali documented his life in the Rumaila oilfield as part of a BBC investigation into gas flaring.

The BBC also carried out the first pollution monitoring in Rumaila and other local communities. The results indicated high levels of exposure to benzene and other carcinogens (substances that may increase the risk of cancer), which suggested that the local population was at an elevated risk of leukemia as a result of the gas flaring.

The Iraqi government owns the Rumaila oil field, but BP is the main contractor that manages the site with its partner PetroChina, in a consortium called the Rumaila Operating Organization (ROO).

ROO operating rules, signed by BP, state that “those affected by pollution levels that exceed national limits have a legal right to compensation”.

BP’s share of emissions from the burning of gases at Rumaila, based on its 47.6% stake in the company that operates the field, stood at 3.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2021. This is more than the emissions produced by two million cars in the UK per year. .

Ali (below, second on the right) really liked football. (COURTESY OF THE FAMILY).

Although the activity took place in Iraq, Julood You can take your action to the UK courts because BP is based in that country.

“As we have said before, BP is not and never has been the operator of the Rumaila field. However, we continue to actively support the main contractor, Basra Energy Company Limited (BECL), in its effort to assist the field operator, Rumaila Operating Organization (ROO), to reduce gas flaring and emissions,” BP told the BBC.

Last year, after the BBC documentary was broadcast and just a week after Ali’s death, Julood addressed the BP board at the company’s Annual General Meeting, calling for an end to gas flaring.

Bernard Looney, who was CEO at the time, recognized that gas flaring was a problem in Rumailaand that the ROO was trying to reduce it.

Regarding the health impact, Looney said they continued to “interact with local representatives as would be expected… [ROO] is prioritizing social well-being [y] “funds measures to support community health initiatives.”

But since then, Julood claims to have I saw flames and black smoke almost daily.

“It’s just false promises. There are no improvements. The environment is so polluted that we can’t breathe,” Julood told the BBC.

Julood also said there have been four or five cancer deaths in the area since Ali’s death, including a child last month.

Julood’s lawyers said BP could enter into negotiations over compensation or contest the claim. In this case, the next step would be for Hussein Julood to take legal action and the case could then be heard before UK judges.

Source: Elcomercio