Another sandstorm hit Iraq on Monday forcing some schools and offices to shut down, while flights at Baghdad Airport have also been suspended.
The education ministry and other offices declared May 16 a day off for local government institutions, except for health department. The sandstorm sent hundreds of people across Baghdad and southern cities to hospitals with breathing issues, according to medical officials. Authorities in seven of Iraq’s 18 provinces, including Baghdad, have closed government offices shut.
Flights halted at airports
Baghdad International Airport closed its airspace and halted all flights until further notice due to low visibility, according to a statement issued by the airport. Airports in Najaf and Sulaimaniyah were also reportedly closed for the day. A red haze of dust and sand reduced visibility in Baghdad and southern Iraqi cities to just a few hundred feet.
Effect of series of dust storms
The dust storm on Monday was the eighth storm to hit Iraq since mid-April. The fine dust particles can cause health problems such as asthma and cardiovascular ailments, and also spread bacteria and viruses as well as pesticides and other toxins. Besides triggering respiratory issues among masses, the back-to-back sandstorms have left Iraq battling with:
- Soil degradation
- Intense drought, and
- Low rainfall linked to climate change
The last one earlier in May led to the death of one person while more than five thousand people were hospitalised for breathing problems.
“It’s every three or four days now,” said a citizen. “It’s clearly a result of climate change and lack of rain, whenever there’s wind it just kicks up dust and sand.”
Climate crisis in Iraq
Iraq is the fifth-most vulnerable country in the world to the climate crisis, according to the United Nations. Iraq is prone to seasonal sandstorms but experts and officials are raising the alarm over their frequency in recent years, which they say is exacerbated by record-low rainfall, desertification and climate change.