Cancer investigation shuts down polluting Kurdistan refineries

For 20 years, illegal oil refineries have dotted the landscape of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, pumping out toxic smog.

Amid shady industrial practices and a surge in cancer cases across the region, Salah Baban, a journalist from the Network of Iraqi Reporters for Investigative Journalism (NIRIJ), worked on a major investigation entitled “Neighbourhoods under a poisoned sky”.

The investigation revealed that small and medium crude oil refineries, often belonging to influential figures, were not operating with proper environmental safety standards and their pollution was directly affecting human health.

The story followed the plight of a former car mechanic Othman Mohammed, 42, who had developed malignant cancerous nodes in his neck. Seven of his family members also developed cancer, including two younger brothers as well as nieces and nephews living in the same area.

“If thorough examinations were conducted on the region’s inhabitants, we would discover the extent of the catastrophe we are living in, with primitive refineries emitting their toxins day and night without any treatment,” Othman Mohammed said.

The investigation found that almost 10,000 new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2023, up from 7,831 in 2019. Doctors and medical specialists say the region is experiencing a higher occurrence of cancer that they believe is linked to pollution and does not correspond to population increases.

Apart from airborne toxins such as ultrafine particles, carbon monoxide and others, refineries were also discharging heavy metals into the soil, polluting crops and entering the food chain.

Authorities intervene

After the investigation was published, pressure mounted on authorities, which led to Erbil governor Omid Khoshnaw announcing in August 2024 the shutdown of 138 refineries.

This was not an empty promise. By late 2024, 130 illegal oil refineries were closed, a testament to the powerful impact of this journalism investigation. NIRIJ’s story was syndicated widely across Iraq
and the wider Middle East, prompting follow-up reports by other media outlets. Reporter Salah Baban himself became a key voice on the issue and was invited to deliver lectures at two universities in
Baghdad.

The momentum has continued into 2025. In January, the Kurdistan Regional Government announced a comprehensive suite of further environmental protections directly linked to the investigation. These measures include a renewed crackdown on the remaining illegal refineries, a ban on using contaminated water for irrigation and fines for owners of neighbourhood generators that fail to use state-of-the-art filters to reduce harmful emissions.

In May, NIRIJ published a follow-up environmental investigation about the lack of accountability over millions of dollars allocated to a special environment support fund in Kurdistan. Oil companies were mandated to pay into this fund annually as part of their contract with the Kurdistan Regional Government.
A NIRIJ reporter followed the paper trails and shone a light on how the local environment was being shortchanged.

Investigative reporting under threat

With some 20 staff reporters, NIRIJ specialises in investigative reporting covering a broad range of topics including corruption, government mismanagement, political and gender-based violence and human rights and justice issues. NIRIJ’s important accountability journalism is at risk following a US funding cut.

Although NIRIJ receives significant funding from IMS and the European Endowment for Democracy, crucial grants from two US organisations were cancelled. The funding shortfall equates to an estimated
40 percent of its budget. Despite the significant impact of investigations on the environment and oil projects in the Kurdistan region, NIRIJ also lost a grant to work specifically on the Kurdistan region.
This resulted in the media outlet halting several larger projects that require more funding for Kurdish language editors and technical supervision.

Long-term collaboration

NIRIJ was founded in 2011 and has been supported by IMS since its inception. IMS provides core financial support to the network to ensure its independence.

NIRIJ also provides skills development training to Iraqi journalists and works to establish a professional investigative journalism culture.

With IMS support, the network launched a new website in 2024, featuring a new logo, font and video explainers to rebrand the outlet. These measures nearly doubled its website readership from 16,000 in 2023 to 36,000 in 2024. The investigations also reach a wider audience through syndication across Iraq
and Middle East media outlets.

Looking ahead, IMS is working with NIRIJ on visual storytelling, social media branding and expanding the reach of their core media products via social media platforms.