Shell blamed for Niger Delta damage

LONDON, July 1 (UPI) -- More than 9 million barrels of oil have spilled into the Niger Delta region, posing grave humanitarian and environmental concerns, Amnesty International says.

Global human-rights group Amnesty International complains in a lengthy report that activity by the oil industry in the Niger Delta over the past 50 years has created dire conditions for the civilian population.

"Decades of pollution and environmental damage, caused by the oil industry, have resulted in violations of the right to an adequate standard of living, including food and water, violations of the right to gain a living through work and violations of the right to health," it says.

The report cites allegations of under-reporting of oil spills, the flaring of gas near villages and the disposal of waste near wetlands, agricultural and fishing areas.

The Amnesty report focuses largely on the activity of Royal Dutch Shell in the Niger Delta as the source of most of the problems cited.

Shell issued strong denials of the Amnesty allegations, blaming the majority of the detrimental impact on instability in the region, London's Guardian newspaper reports.

"About 85 percent of the pollution from our operations comes from attacks and sabotage that also puts our staff's lives and human rights at risk," the supermajor said.

Nigeria holds roughly 36.2 billion barrels of oil reserves, with most of that centered in the Niger Delta region. The area is plagued by militant activity as local groups seek a share of the oil wealth by responding with attacks on oil installations.