Iraq, sandstorm leaves 1800 with respiratory problems

More than a thousand people remained with respiratory problems after the sand storm swept through the central and southern parts of Iraq, health officials said.

One official in the province of Mutanna reported at the AFP news agency at least 700 cases that, according to them, was suffocating.

Personnel shared on the Internet showed that areas closed in a thick orange haze, with local media reporting electricity reduction and suspension of flights in a number of regions.

Dust storms are often found in Iraq, but some experts believe that they become more frequent because of climate change.

According to AFP, pedestrians and police wore face masks to protect themselves from dust, and paramedics were in place to help people with difficulty breathing.

Mutanna’s province hospitals in southern Iraq have received at least “700 suffocation cases,” a local health official said.

More than 250 people were taken to a hospital in Najaf province, and at least 322 patients, including children, were sent to hospital in the province of carpet.

Another 530 people reported breathing problems in DHI QAR and Basra.

The sand storm threw the southern provinces of Iraq in an orange cloud, which reduced the visibility by less than one kilometer (0.62 miles).

Authorities were forced to close airports in Najaf and Basra provinces.

The conditions are expected to be gradually improved by Tuesday morning, local meteorological services reports.

Iraq is entered by the UN as One of five countries Most vulnerable to climate change when it faces ordinary sandstones, inflating heat and water deficiency.

A strong sandstorm in 2022 He left one person dead and more than 5000, which requires respiratory treatment.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Iraq will feel more “days of dust”, the Ministry of the Environment reports.