U.N. bird flu chief says compensation is key

By Alastair Sharp

SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) - Compensation for farmers affected by bird flu helps the early detection of new outbreaks, the U.N's avian influenza chief said on Sunday, but refrained from criticising countries like Egypt that lack such programmes.

Cambodia and Egypt -- which is hosting a ministerial summit on the virus -- are the only countries heavily affected by bird flu that do not offer some form of compensation.

"In our view, compensation for the value of birds that are destroyed for the control of avian influenza is important if public cooperation is to occur," David Nabarro told Reuters on Sunday.

"At the same time we appreciate that governments will wish to decide who is most in need of compensation," he added.

Egypt paid compensation for birds that had to be culled in the first months after the avian influenza virus arrived in the North African country in early 2006, but the agriculture ministry says this programme ended in May 2006.

At a joint press conference earlier, Egyptian Agriculture Minister Amin Abaza said Egypt wanted to provide compensation, but that "this is a cost we cannot shoulder."

Some 22 Egyptians have died of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu since the virus arrived in the most populous Arab country, where 5 million households depend on poultry as a main source of food and income.

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