Another sandstorm has engulfed Iraq, turning skies orange and hospitalising hundreds, while flights at Baghdad Airport have also been suspended.
The 'apocalyptical' weather conditions?have has also closed?some?state schools and offices. It is the eighth dust storm since mid-April to hit Iraq.?
The education ministry and other offices declared a day off for local government institutions, with the exception of health services, Reuters reported. As per medical officials, hundreds of people across Baghdad and southern cities went to hospitals with breathing difficulties.??
The capital city has been left in an orange glow and enveloped many other cities including the city of Najaf to the south, and Sulaimaniyah in the northern Kurdish autonomous region.
Yellow and orange sand covered building roofs, cars and even crept into homes.
Baghdad International Airport said in a statement that it was closing its airspace and halting all flights until further notice because of low visibility. The state-run INA news agency reported that airports in Najaf and Sulaimaniyah were also closed for the day.??
At least 4,000 people were admitted to hospital needing treatment for respiratory difficulties, health ministry spokesman Seif al-Badr said, adding that all cases 'received the necessary medical care'.
It is the eighth sandstorm since mid-April to hit Iraq, which has been battered by soil degradation, intense droughts and low rainfall linked to climate change.??
The last one earlier this month led to the death of one person while 5,000 others had to be hospitalized for respiratory problems.??
Even though Iraq is known in Arabic as the land of the two rivers - in reference to the legendary Tigris and Euphrates rivers - the supply of water has been declining for years.?
As per United Nations, Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country in the world to the climate crisis.? ?
Drought and extreme temperatures are drying up farmland and making large parts of Iraq barely habitable during the summer months. The country posted record temperatures of at least 52 degrees Celsius in recent years.
In April, an environment ministry official warned that Iraq could face “272 days of dust” a year over the next two decades.??
For more trending stories, follow us on?Telegram.?