Iraq fell into a dust storm and dozens were hospitalized due to respiratory problems

Limited vision, red eyes, and orange light. On Saturday, April 9, most regions of Iraq were hit by a dust storm for the third consecutive day, resulting in “tens” He was hospitalized for respiratory problems, according to Ministry of Health spokesman Saif Al-Badr.

The cloud first hit northern Iraq on Thursday, including the autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq, where flights were canceled at Erbil airport. Then slide south and wind Baghdad and other cities like Nasiriyah on Saturday.

Vision was nearly zero in the affected areas and the light appeared to be immersed in an orange filter. AFP journalists noted that cars, motorbikes and houses were covered in yellow film in the streets.

This phenomenon must subside “Saturday afternoon”Amer Al-Jabri, director of Iraqi meteorological information, explained in an interview with AFP.

The Sand and dust storms It is not uncommon in Iraq, a semi-desert country, especially in the spring. But Amer Al-Jabri said he expects this in the future “Increased dust storms due to drought, desertification and lack of rain (…) which weaken the vegetation cover”likely to mitigate the effects of storms.

Iraq is one of the countries most vulnerable to global warming and desertification. Droughts there are becoming more frequent and intense, as temperatures can remain above 50°C in summer for several days in a row.