More than 1,000 Iraqis hospitalized because of sandstorms

Residents of six of Iraq’s 18 provinces, including the capital Baghdad and the vast western province of Al-Anbar, woke up once again to a thick cloud of dust that blanketed the sky today. Officials in the provinces of Al-Anbar and Kirkuk, north of the capital, urged people to stay indoors to prevent risks.

Thick orange dust covered the streets and vehicles, crept into the homes of people in the capital Baghdad. On May 1, many flights in Baghdad and the city of Najaf, about 160 kilometers south of Baghdad, were canceled due to poor visibility.

Health official Anas Qais said hospitals in Al-Anbar province had received more than 700 patients with difficulty breathing. Salaheddin province in the center reported more than 300 cases, while Diwaniya province, also in the center, and Najaf province both recorded about 100 cases.

Iraq has been hit by several sandstorms since April. Meteorological official Amer al-Jabri said the weather phenomenon is expected to become more and more frequent “due to drought, desertification and reduced rainfall,” said meteorologist Amer al-Jabri. “.

Iraq is particularly vulnerable to climate change. The country has seen record low rainfall and high temperatures over the past few years. These factors risk causing economic and social catastrophe in the war-torn country, experts say.

Last November, the World Bank (WB) warned that Iraq could lose 20% of its water resources by 2050 due to climate change. Last month, a government official warned Iraq could face “272 days of dust” a year for the coming decades.

Iraq’s Environment Ministry says sandstorms can be tackled by “increasing vegetation cover and creating forests that act as windbreaks”.

More than 1,000 Iraqis hospitalized because of sandstorms

Huyen Le (According to AFP, ABC)