Toddler killed by mould exposure in ‘defining moment for housing sector’ in UK

The cause of the death of Awaab Ishak in December 2020 was a respiratory condition triggered by black mold in the one-bedroom housing association flat where he lived with his father and mother in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, said Joanne Kearsley on Tuesday.

Shortly after his second birthday, Ishak "died as a result of a severe respiratory condition caused due to prolonged exposure to mold in his home environment" and "action to treat and prevent the mold was not taken," said Kearsley in her verdict after launching an inquest into the death of the toddler.

"The tragic death of Awaab will and should be a defining moment for the housing sector in terms of increasing knowledge, increasing awareness and a deepening of understanding surrounding the issue of damp and mold," she said.

His father, Faisal Abdullah, had previously complained to Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) about the persisting mold, the inquest at Rochdale Coroner's Court was told, but he was told to paint over it.

In June 2020, Abdullah instructed solicitors and initiated a claim over the persistent issue but policy meant any repairs would not be done until an agreement had been reached, the inquest heard.

"I find as a matter of fact that no action was taken and, from July 2020 until December 2020, Awaab continued to have chronic exposure to harmful mold," Kearsley said.

"I'm sure I'm not alone in having thought, 'How does this happen? How, in the UK in 2020, does a two-year-old child die from exposure to mold in his home?'," she asked. The senior coroner also underscored in her verdict that "action to treat and prevent the mold was not taken," adding that Ishak's "respiratory condition led to respiratory arrest."

"The medical advice given to his parents led to Awaab receiving suboptimal ventilation of his airway which was unable to prevent his cardiac arrest," Kearsley said, warning that the issue was "not simply a Rochdale problem."

Abdullah and her wife, Aisha Aminin, 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."

"Rochdale Boroughwide Housing we have a message for you - stop discriminating, stop being racist, stop providing unfair treatment to people coming from abroad who are refugees or asylum seekers, stop housing people in homes you know are unfit for human habitation," the couple said.

Abdullah arrived in the UK as an asylum-seeker from Sudan back in July 2015 before Aminin joined him in February 2018.

Last month, thousands of anti-racism activists gathered in central London for a march on Downing Street in an effort to combat institutional racism in the British police force.