Thousands of people experienced breathing problems: a sandstorm swept through central and southern Iraq
Kyiv • UNN
A sandstorm swept through the central and southern regions of Iraq, causing more than a thousand people to seek medical help with breathing problems. The authorities closed the airports.
More than a thousand people have had breathing problems after a sandstorm swept through central and southern Iraq. At least seven hundred cases of suffocation have been reported in the province of Mutanna. More than 500 people, including children, were taken to hospitals. This was reported by UNN with reference to the BBC.
Details
A sandstorm covered the southern provinces of Iraq with an orange cloud and reduced visibility to less than one kilometer.
More than 1,000 people have had breathing problems after a sandstorm swept through central and southern Iraq
The publication noted that, according to one official from the province of Mutanna, at least 700 cases of suffocation are known.
More than 250 people were taken to hospitals in Najaf province, and at least 322 patients, including children, were sent to hospitals in Diwaniyah province. Another 530 people reported breathing problems in the provinces of Di-Kar and Basra.
Photos circulating online show some areas of the country covered in a thick orange haze. Pedestrians and police officers wore medical masks to protect themselves from the dust.
According to local media, power outages occurred in a number of regions. Also, the authorities were forced to close airports in the provinces of Najaf and Basra.
Dust storms are becoming more frequent in the country due to climate change
Dust storms are a common occurrence in Iraq, but some experts believe they are becoming more frequent due to climate change. It is because of climate change that Iraq is on the UN list as one of the five most vulnerable countries. Local residents are constantly faced with regular sandstorms, terrible heat and water shortages.
For example, a severe sandstorm in 2022 led to the death of one person, and more than five thousand people needed treatment for respiratory diseases.
According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Iraq will experience more "dusty days" in the future.
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