EU ambassador to Iraq ill due to Basra's dirty water

The European Union's ambassador to Iraq, Ramon Blecua, said he had become sick in the city of Basra from polluted water, which has seen tens of thousands of residents hospitalised.

He said he felt ill and "had to cancel several meetings" in the southern city.

"UNICEF doctor diagnosed the cause as water pollution," Blecua wrote on Twitter, referring to the United Nations children's agency.

The envoy added he had not planned "to take my solidarity with the people of Basra that far, but certainly now share how you feel," AFP reported.

Blecua said he was in Basra as part of EU efforts to support projects linked to the delivery of services, as well as those related to good governance and job creation.

More than 90,000 people have been hospitalised in Basra due to polluted water, according to Iraq's high commission for human rights.