Airports and public administrations in Iraq had to close their activities on Monday because of another dust storm that caused respiratory problems for more than a thousand people. Since mid-April, Iraq, one of the five countries in the world most affected by the effects of climate change, according to the UN, has experienced no fewer than nine dust and sand storms.
The storm also hit Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In Kuwait, the international airport suspended flights for three hours. For the second time in less than a week, the thick cloud of dust covered the Saudi capital Riyadh and its emblematic monuments such as the Kingdom Center Tower. Saudi Civil Defense warned the storm would last until nightfall.
The storm should gradually dissipate
On Monday in Baghdad, a cloud of gray dust hovered over the almost deserted streets, breaking free from the usual traffic jams. South of the capital, near Najaf, shepherds and their flocks found themselves enveloped in a now-familiar orange halo.
According to weather services, the storm should gradually clear up. Prime Minister Moustafa al-Kazimi had ordered the closure of “public facilities” due to “poor weather conditions and the arrival of violent dust storms”, with the exception of health and security authorities in particular.
people more at risk
Due to a visibility of no more than 400 meters, Baghdad Airport suspended air traffic for a few hours during the day. Erbil International Airport in autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan (north) announced another closure “due to thick dust” in the evening, which had returned, according to the state news agency INA. The thefts had also stopped there a few hours earlier in the day. Airports have repeatedly had to temporarily suspend flights due to storms in recent weeks.
The last two dust storms in Iraq killed one person and sent nearly 10,000 people to hospital for treatment for respiratory illnesses. These are mainly the elderly or those with asthma, respiratory failure or heart disease, which health officials say are the most vulnerable categories.
“272 Days of Dust”
“These dust storms usually come in the summer, but not with the same frequency as lately,” admitted Seif al-Hamza, a doctor at a Baghdad hospital. “Choking cases have increased significantly compared to previous seasons. »
According to an Environment Ministry official, Iraq is projected to experience “272 dust days” per year over the next two decades, and by 2050 the 300-day threshold will be reached. Among the measures recommended to combat this phenomenon, the authorities rightly cite the creation of green belts around cities that “act as windbreaks” at a time when “39% of desertification” of the country’s total area is being affected by the President Barham Saleh.