Over a thousand hospitalized as sandstorm hits Baghdad
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least one death and more than 1,500 cases of people with breathing difficulties were reported in the Iraqi capital on Friday after a heavy sandstorm hit Baghdad.
Over 1,536 people were admitted to the hospitals of the city on Thursday night, state media quoted the head of Rusafa district’s health directorate Alaa Kazim as saying.
One person was reported dead after suffering from complications, while 29 others remain in the intensive care unit, Kazim added, noting that the rest were discharged after receiving the required treatment.
A thick layer of dust blanketed Iraq and the Kurdistan Region on Thursday, reducing visibility in the cities and making driving difficult.
Over 1,536 people were admitted to the hospitals of the city on Thursday night, state media quoted the head of Rusafa district’s health directorate Alaa Kazim as saying.
One person was reported dead after suffering from complications, while 29 others remain in the intensive care unit, Kazim added, noting that the rest were discharged after receiving the required treatment.
A thick layer of dust blanketed Iraq and the Kurdistan Region on Thursday, reducing visibility in the cities and making driving difficult.
Dust storm envelopes Baghdad. #Iraq #weather pic.twitter.com/OaZXblIPfl
— Sinan S. Mahmoud (@sinansm) March 3, 2022
Baghdad’s sky often turns orange and reddish-brown as sand from the surrounding desert blows into the capital. Experts believe the dust increases as a result of worsening drought which reduces the flow of water in the Tigris and Euphrates, creating drier and dustier land more susceptible to sand storms.
Iraq is also among the most affected countries in the world to the effects of climate change. It has been named by the UN as the fifth-most vulnerable nation, with rising temperatures and water shortage.