GARBAGE CITY: AFTERMATH OF THE GOE PIG CULLING PLAN

UNCLAS CAIRO 001456 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AIAG (AMBASSADOR LOTFIS AND DAVID WINN),NEA/ELA DEPT PASS TO AID (DENNIS CARROLL) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO KFLU KSTH PGOV EAGR CASC PREL EAID EG SUBJECT: GARBAGE CITY: AFTERMATH OF THE GOE PIG CULLING PLAN Sensitive but Unclassified. Please handle accordingly. REF: A. 09CAIRO724 ¶B. 09CAIRO771 1.(SBU) Key Points: -- A briefing by community leaders and a site visit to Cairo's main garbage collection point revealed the GOE completed its city swine culling efforts begun in early May. -- Former pig owners remain angry about the destruction of their swine herds and have struggled to replace the lost income. ¶2. (U) Emboffs met with Dr. Laila Iskander and MP Syada Greiss, community leaders in Manshiyat Nasser, part of the greater Mokkattam area. The neighborhood, which is home to nearly 60,000 people, contains the largest "zebaleen" (garbage people) community in Cairo and is 98% Christian. -------------- DESTRUCTION OF THE PIGS -------------- ¶3. (SBU) GOE swine culling teams began their efforts to eradicate swine flocks in early May (Ref B). At the time, Manshiyat Nasser contained more than 450 small pig farms and approximately 70,000 pigs. According to Iskander, the GOE finished eliminating the pigs in late May in the neighborhood. She later noted in the four other Cairo garbage communities (also predominantly Christian) swine herds were destroyed at around the same time. There are reportedly pig farms remaining in outside governorates and the director of the General Organization of Veterinary Services, which is part of the Ministry of Agriculture, explained in a conversation last month that small numbers of pigs will be allowed to remain in "some" monasteries. However, Iskander was not clear if this will actually happen. We did not see any pigs during our visit. -------------- ANGRY FARMERS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Pig farmers did not hesitate to express their fury and frustration when asked about the GOE swine culling. One explained that his livelihood was "completely destroyed" and he cannot replace the lost income. He doubted GOE compensation promises before the swine culling began and subsequently sold all of his pigs for between 20-40 LE (approximately $3-7 USD) when each one was worth 600 LE ($107 USD). A second farmer followed the same path and said he and his garbage collectors now subsist solely on sorting plastic and other recyclable items; they earned far less than before. We did speak with one farmer who elected to turn over his entire flock to the GOE. He claimed that he received payment for less than a fourth of what he expected and was resigned to his financial situation. ¶5. (SBU) Iskander explained the loss of the pigs has had a devastating impact on the community. The "zebaleen" no longer collect "organic" waste (i.e. discarded food products) in high volume to feed to the pigs. Several garbage collectors said more and more of this waste remains on the city's streets. Pig manure, previously sold to compost companies, remains in the backyard of homes as families have no means to dispose of it. Greiss stated the cost to remove it is greater than what farmers can afford. Garbage collectors, already one of the most poor and marginalized groups in Cairo, do not know how they will generate new sources of income now that their swine herds are destroyed. Tueller