Fighting pollution: Martha's story

Activists in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria are sharing how Shell, the fossil fuel giant, is devastating their communities with oil spills, gas flaring, polluted water and human rights abuses.

Contaminated waterways caused by massive oil-spills and persistent gas flaring has decimated fish populations, resulting in the loss of countless livelihoods and a sharp rise in hunger.

Fisherwomen like Martha are among those most affected as livelihoods are ripped away and hunger sharply rises.

“Before the arrival of Shell, when we cast our nets there was always a surplus of fish, and we would have problems taking all the fish home.

"Now that Shell has arrived, and they started burning their fire and spilling oil everywhere, since they came here, we cannot catch fish. 

"We are dying of hunger. Even the water in our taps now has oil in it since Shell came. Water that is meant for consumption is now contaminated.

"Whenever we drink from the water, we always come down with stomach ache. The oil has damaged everything.”