“Since yesterday, our hospitals have received 207 people who had severe respiratory problems,” Kirkuk health directorate spokesperson Saman Yaba told Rudaw.
"Apart from a few people who needed to stay for several hours, all the others returned home quickly after receiving treatment,” he added.
On Monday, health officials told Rudaw that nearly 550 people had been hospitalized across Iraq in a single day as a severe dust storm swept through several provinces, causing widespread respiratory issues.
Dust storms are a recurring phenomenon in Iraq, but their frequency and severity have increased due to prolonged drought, desertification, and rising temperatures.
The United Nations has warned that urgent action is needed to combat environmental degradation in Iraq.
According to Iraq’s environment ministry, Iraq has experienced an average of 272 dusty days per year over the past two decades - a figure projected to climb to 300 days annually by 2050.
Iraq is among the countries most affected by climate change, with mismanagement of water resources and dam projects in upstream countries further reducing the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
