A sandstorm hit seven Iraqi provinces on Thursday, May 5, including the capital Baghdad and the large semi-desert region of Al-Anbar in the west of the country. It caused the death of one person and the hospitalization of more than five thousand others for respiratory problems.
This storm is the seventh to hit Iraq in a month and weather services expect it to happen again throughout May.
The streets of the Iraqi capital as well as those of Nassiriya and Najaf, in the south of the country, were invaded by a thick orange cloud, with the sand seeping into homes.
The majority of Iraqis who braved the storm had to wear surgical masks in order to protect themselves from this invasive and irritating dust.
Due to extremely reduced visibility, the Baghdad airport authorities had to interrupt their flights and few motorists dared to venture on the roads.
In addition, more than five thousand people went to the hospital in less than 24 hours for respiratory problems caused by the sandstorm, according to the state news agency INA. A large number of elderly and asthmatic people were taken care of by hospital teams. Authorities said on Thursday that one person had died in Baghdad.
A phenomenon linked to climate change
Dust storms are becoming more frequent in the country due to drought and climate change. Iraq is now one of the five countries in the world most vulnerable to climate change and desertification.
“During the next two decades, Iraq is expected to experience 272 days of dust per year and in 2050, the threshold of 300 days per year will be reached”, indicated in early April a senior official of the Ministry of the Environment, Issa al- Fayyad.
To combat this phenomenon, the Ministry of the Environment has recommended several measures, including the creation of forests that act as windbreaks.