Status: 05/05/2022 3:44 p.m
Sandstorms were not uncommon in Iraq before – but also because of climate change, they are becoming more frequent and more violent. Like right now. At least one person died and hundreds had to be treated in hospitals.
A sandstorm in Iraq has left more than 5,000 people with severe respiratory problems. In Baghdad, the Ministry of Health reported one fatality, and almost 1,000 people were taken to clinics there alone with breathing difficulties. More than 300 cases were reported in Salaheddin province and 100 hospitalizations each in Divaniya and Najaf provinces. According to the INA, at least 1850 cases have been officially registered.
The seventh sandstorm this month
The sandstorm had wrapped six of the 18 Iraqi provinces in a dense cloud of dust in the morning – the greater Baghdad area was also affected. It was the seventh sandstorm in a month.
According to state media, the authorities in Al-Anbar and in the province of Kirkuk north of the capital asked people not to go outside if possible. Despite rumors to the contrary on social media, air traffic continues despite the storm, INA reported, citing the civil aviation authority.
Climate change and misguided water policy
There are always sandstorms in Iraq. Especially in summer, there are strong north-west winds in the desert region, which blow over the floodplains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Iraq is particularly hard hit by climate change. In recent years, there have been repeated heat waves and long periods of drought.
According to World Bank estimates, the country could lose around 20 percent of its water reserves by 2050. In early April, a government official warned that Iraq could expect “272 days of dust” a year in the coming decades. In addition to climate change, a misguided water policy is to blame. According to meteorologists, the country is also expecting sandstorms in the coming months.