Iraq is experiencing an unprecedented sandstorm these weeks, a symptom of the changes the climate crisis has wreaked on this part of the world. Hundreds of people had to be hospitalized, but the number of mildly affected across the country exceeds 5,000. The effects of this sandstorm herald what could happen in other countries hitherto unaffected by these extreme events.
According to the Ministry of Health, one person died due to this sandstorm, which happened for the seventh time in a month, and more than 5,000 people had to be treated in hospitals for respiratory problems.
The frequency of dust storms in Iraq has increased at an unprecedented rate in recent years. It is supported by exceptionally intense droughts caused by soil degradation and climate change, along with rising average temperatures and much lower precipitation.
Residents of six of Iraq’s 18 provinces, including Baghdad and the vast western Al-Anbar region, have woken up to a thick cloud of dust covering the sky in recent weeks. Visibility was extremely low during these times when the orange clouds invaded everything and caused a suffocating environment where it was difficult to breathe.
“One death has been recorded in Baghdad” and hospitals “have received less than 5,000 cases so far,” Health Ministry spokesman Saif al-Badir said in a statement.
Those most affected are people suffering from “chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma” and the elderly suffering from heart conditions.added the same source to testimonies collected by AFP.
Badr added that most have already been discharged and that most cases are “moderate or low-intensity.”
Causes: overuse of water and deforestation
Dust and sandstorms are common in the Middle East, but A trend that scientists associate with overuse of river water, more dam building, overgrazing and deforestation has become more frequent and intense in recent years.
Fine dust particles can cause health problems such as asthma and cardiovascular disease, as well as spread bacteria and viruses, as well as pesticides and other toxins.
Authorities of El-Anbar and Kirkuk provinces in the north of the capital, They urged people not to “leave their homes”according to the official INA news agency.
Storms expected to become more severe as climate change worsensbecause higher temperatures and more erratic precipitation dries the soil faster and accelerates desertification.
Sandstorms also cause economic damage, sometimes reducing visibility to almost zero; forcing airports and roads to be closed, and damaging buildings, vegetation and solar panels.
Forecast: 272 days of dust per year
Anas Qais, a health official quoted by INA, said that more than 700 patients with respiratory difficulties had come to hospitals in Al-Anbar province.
The news agency reported more than 300 cases in the central Saladin province, while it recorded about 100 cases in the province of Diwaniyah and Najaf, south of Baghdad.
Despite the mighty Tigris and Euphrates rivers, Iraq is cited as one of the five most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change. and desertification.
Scientists believe that climate change is increasing droughts, and their intensity and frequency are threatening food security. These factors threaten to wreak social and economic disaster in a country still recovering after decades of war and armed conflict.
In November, the World Bank declared that Iraq, a country of 41 million, Due to climate change, there may be a 20 percent decrease in water resources by 2050.
The United Nations says that about a third of Iraq’s population currently lives in poverty.
The effects of low precipitation have been exacerbated as water levels from the Tigris and Euphrates drop due to upstream dams in neighboring Iran and Turkey.
For these reasons, a government official warned last month: Iraq could face dust 272 days a year for decades.
The Ministry of Environment stated that the meteorological phenomenon could be addressed “by increasing vegetation and creating forests that act as windbreaks”.
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