Nearly three months after the March 13 oil spill in Ecuador’s Esmeraldas province, which spilled more than 25,000 barrels of crude oil, the impacts continue. UN reports show that 31% of the affected population has been forced to flee their homes and 57,000 women and 44,000 children are at risk. More than 3,500 people have developed dermatitis and respiratory infections as a result of exposure to crude oil, while rural communities continue to rely on tanker trucks for water and riverbanks are heavily polluted. The Government has issued vouchers and initiated pipeline repairs, but ecological restoration and resettlement of the population will require long-term investment.
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