Death of Awaab Ishak from mould exposure should be ‘catalyst for change’ in housing standards

Published

3 years ago

November 17, 2022

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The death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak should be a “catalyst for change in housing standards” and a “wakeup call to the government”, politicians have said.

MPs are demanding action after an inquest found the little boy died from a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in his family’s flat.

Speaking in the Commons, shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy said the tragedy should mark a “real step change” in improving social housing stock.

“It should also be a defining moment for us and a wake-up call that every single person in this house who has – in whatever limited form and to whatever extent – the power and the platform to make sure that this never, ever happens again,” she said.

“It should not take the death of a two-year-old boy in completely avoidable circumstances to get us to get together and act.”

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Awaab died shortly after his second birthday in December 2020.

At an inquest on Tuesday, coroner Joanne Kearsley found that he “died as a result of a severe respiratory condition caused due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home environment” and “action to treat and prevent the mould was not taken”.

Awaab’s father repeatedly raised the issue with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), who owned the property in Greater Manchester.

The family, originally from Sudan, have accused the housing association of racism, saying they have “no doubt at all” they were “treated in this way because we are not from this country”.

Ms Nandy warned the issues Awaab’s family faced are wide-spread, telling MPs: “Our in-boxes and constituency surgeries are absolutely overflowing in every part of the country with people who are in this position who’ve sounded the alarm over and over and over again, and just simply been rendered invisible by decision-makers who do not respond.”

She asked Michael Gove, the housing secretary, what steps his department is going to take, adding: “There is a systemic issue of housing unfit for human habitation in both the social and private rented sector.

“Too many families in overcrowded, damp, mouldy, squalid conditions and disproportionately likely to be BAME families in poverty.”

‘Wake-up call for the government’

Earlier on Wednesday, the Labour frontbencher wrote to Mr Gove urging him to immediately introduce a new decent homes standard, saying that the government’s failure to set a timetable for doing this was “now beyond unacceptable”.

She said Awaab’s death should be “a wake-up call for the government” and also called for an investigation into the treatment of refugees in the housing system, as well as the role that racism may have played in the treatment of Awaab and his family.

In the Commons, Mr Gove admitted there are at least 2.3 million social homes that fail the decent homes standard “and that there are more homes proportionately in the private rented sector than the social rented sector that fail”.

The decent homes standard has been setting the standards that social homes are required to meet since the early 2000s and is currently under review.

Mr Gove said he hoped that new regulations in response to the consultation could be brought forward “as early as possible… in the beginning of the new year”.

Gove vows to ‘name and shame’ landlords

He also said his department would “name and shame” landlords who had breached consumer standards.

“At the moment… the system has been too reliant on people fighting their own corner and we are determined to change that. So, the reforms that we’re making will help to relieve the burden on tenants with an emboldened and more powerful regulator,” he said.

While Mr Gove has acknowledged the “funding challenges” faced by local authorities who provide social housing, he has said this is “no excuse” for Awaab’s death.

On Tuesday, the housing secretary said it “beggars belief” the chief executive of RBH, Gareth Swarbrick, is still in his “£150,000-plus” a year job – and has summoned him to his department for a meeting.

Mr Gove said he has spoken briefly to the chief executive earlier this afternoon and “in the course of that conversation it became even more clear to me that there are systemic problems in the governance and leadership of that organisation”.

‘Dramatic increase in damp and mould cases’

Mr Swarbick, the chief executive of RBH, said he is “truly devastated about Awaab’s death and the things we got wrong”.

At the inquest, the corner asked: “How in the UK in 2020 does a two-year-old child die as a result of exposure to mould?”

But according to the Housing Ombudsman, Awaab’s death comes amid a “dramatic increase” in cases of damp and mould.

Speaking to Radio 4’s Today programme on Wednesday, housing ombudsman Richard Blakeway said: “This is an appalling, heart-breaking case but, sadly, the kind of failures that we saw here, whilst they may not have as tragic a consequence, they often happen and they often cause deep distress, profound distress to residents.”

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said Awaab’s death “must become a powerful catalyst for change in housing standards in all sectors”.

Mr Burnham said he “has been calling for some time for new powers to improve housing standards” across the city region and that he has put forward proposals to tackle poor quality housing as part of the Trailblazer devolution discussions with the government.

Awaab’s constituency MP, Labour’s Sir Tony Lloyd, said the little boy’s death was “preventable and unforgivable” and asked about “classifying mould as a category one hazard because that would be an important step in protection”.

Conservative MP Chris Clarkson called for a “root and branch” investigation into RBH, while Conservative MP Bob Blackman said there must be a “sea change” in how tenants’ complaints about mould are dealt with.

World

Women’s Euros: Extreme heat warnings in place as tournament kicks off

Published

1 hour ago

July 1, 2025

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Women's Euros: Extreme heat warnings in place as tournament kicks off

The Women’s Euros begin in Switzerland today – with extreme heat warnings in place.

Security measures have had to be relaxed by UEFA for the opening matches so fans can bring in water bottles.

Temperatures could be about 30C (86F) when the Swiss hosts open their campaign against Norway in Basel this evening.

Players have already seen the impact of heatwaves this summer at the men’s Club World Cup in the US.

It is raising new concerns in the global players’ union about whether the stars of the sport are being protected in hot and humid conditions.

FIFPRO has asked FIFA to allow cooling breaks every 15 minutes rather than just in the 30th minute of each half.

There’s also a request for half-time to be extended from 15 to 20 minutes to help lower the core temperature of players.

FIFPRO’s medical director, Dr Vincent Gouttebarge, said: “There are some very challenging weather conditions that we anticipated a couple of weeks ago already, that was already communicated to FIFA.

“And I think the past few weeks were confirmation of all worries that the heat conditions will play a negative role for the performance and the health of the players.”

Football has seemed focused on players and fans baking in the Middle East – but scorching summers in Europe and the US are becoming increasingly problematic for sport.

While climate change is a factor, the issue is not new and at the 1994 World Cup, players were steaming as temperatures rose in the US.

There is now more awareness of the need for mitigation measures among players and their international union.

FIFPRO feels football officials weren’t responsive when it asked for kick-off times to be moved from the fierce afternoon heat in the US for the first 32-team Club World Cup.

FIFA has to balance the needs of fans and broadcasters with welfare, with no desire to load all the matches in the same evening time slots.

Electric storms have also seen six games stopped, including a two-hour pause during a Chelsea game at the weekend.

This is the dress rehearsal for the World Cup next summer, which is mostly in the US.

The use of more indoor, air conditioned stadiums should help.

There is no prospect of moving the World Cup to winter, as Qatar had to do in 2022.

And looking further ahead to this time in 2030, there will be World Cup matches in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The temperatures this week have been hitting 40C (104F) in some host cities.

FIFA said in a statement to Sky News: “Heat conditions are a serious topic that affect football globally.

“At the FCWC some significant and progressive measures are being taken to protect the players from the heat. For instance, cooling breaks were implemented in 31 out of 54 matches so far.

“Discussions on how to deal with heat conditions need to take place collectively and FIFA stands ready to facilitate this dialogue, including through the Task Force on Player Welfare, and to receive constructive input from all stakeholders on how to further enhance heat management.

“In all of this, the protection of players must be at the centre.”

World

Trump’s USAID cuts could lead to 14 million deaths, report warns

Published

12 hours ago

July 1, 2025

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Trump's USAID cuts could lead to 14 million deaths, report warns

Around 14 million people could die across the world over the next five years because of cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), researchers have warned.

Children under five are expected to make up around a third (4.5 million) of the mortalities, according to a study published in The Lancet medical journal.

Estimates showed that “unless the abrupt funding cuts announced and implemented in the first half of 2025 are reversed, a staggering number of avoidable deaths could occur by 2030”.

“Beyond causing millions of avoidable deaths – particularly among the most vulnerable – these cuts risk reversing decades of progress in health and socioeconomic development in LMICs [low and middle-income countries],” the report said.

USAID programmes have prevented the deaths of more than 91 million people, around a third of them among children, the study suggests.

The agency’s work has been linked to a 65% fall in deaths from HIV/AIDS, or 25.5 million people.

Eight million deaths from malaria, more than half the total, around 11 million from diarrheal diseases and nearly five million from tuberculosis (TB), have also been prevented.

USAID has been vital in improving global health, “especially in LMICs, particularly African nations,” according to the report.

Established in 1961, the agency was tasked with providing humanitarian assistance and helping economic growth in developing countries, especially those deemed strategic to Washington.

But the Trump administration has made little secret of its antipathy towards the agency, which became an early victim of cuts carried out by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – formerly led by Elon Musk – in what the US government said was part of a broader plan to remove wasteful spending.

In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more than 80% of USAID schemes had been closed following a six-week review, leaving around 1,000 active.

The US is the world’s largest humanitarian aid donor, providing around $61bn (£44bn) in foreign assistance last year, according to government data, or at least 38% of the total, and USAID is the world’s leading donor for humanitarian and development aid, the report said.

Between 2017 and 2020, the agency responded to more than 240 natural disasters and crises worldwide – and in 2016 it sent food assistance to more than 53 million people across 47 countries.

The study assessed all-age and all-cause mortality rates in 133 countries and territories, including all those classified as low and middle-income, supported by USAID from 2001 to 2021.

World

Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended amid outrage over leaked phone call

Published

15 hours ago

July 1, 2025

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Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended amid outrage over leaked phone call

Thailand’s prime minister has been suspended after a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian politician caused outrage.

An ethics investigation into Paetongtarn Shinawatra is under way and she could end up being dismissed.

The country’s constitutional court took up a petition from 36 senators, who claimed dishonesty and a breach of ethical standards, and voted 7 to 2 to suspend her.

The prime minister’s call with Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, sparked public protests after she tried to appease him and criticised a Thai army commander – a taboo move in a country where the military is extremely influential.

Ms Shinawatra was trying to defuse mounting tensions at the border – which in May resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier.

Thousands of conservative, nationalist protesters held a demo in Bangkok on Saturday to urge her to step down.

Her party is clinging on to power after another group withdrew from their alliance a few weeks ago over the phone call. Calls for a no-confidence vote are likely.

Deputy prime minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will take over temporarily while the court looks into the case.

The 38-year-old prime minister – Thailand‘s youngest ever leader – has 15 days to respond to the probe. She has apologised and said her approach in the call was a negotiating tactic.

The popularity of her government has slumped recently, with an opinion poll showing an approval rating of 9.2%, down from 30.9% in March.

Ms Shinawatra comes from a wealthy dynasty synonymous with Thai politics.

Her father Thaksin Shinawatra – a former Manchester City owner – and aunt Yingluck Shinawatra served as prime minister before her – in the early to mid 2000s – and their time in office also ended ignominiously amid corruption charges and military coups.