Over 2,000 people suffer breathing issues amidst Iraq’s 12th dust storm in under six months

The 2,250 patients were affected by the dusty condition to various degrees, the Ministry of Health announced in a statement on Sunday. 
Iraqis receive treatment at an emergency ward in Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Baghdad as thousands were hospitalised across the country during a heavy sandstorm, May 6, 2022. (Photo: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP)
Iraqis receive treatment at an emergency ward in Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Baghdad as thousands were hospitalised across the country during a heavy sandstorm, May 6, 2022. (Photo: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi health workers have recorded over 2,000 cases of “suffocation” as yet another intense dust storm battered the country on Saturday.

The latest storm again grounded flights at the international airports in Erbil, Baghdad, and Najaf due to poor visibility, the country’s aviation officials announced on Saturday. 

The 2,250 patients were affected by the dusty condition to various degrees, the Ministry of Health announced in a statement on Sunday. 

This is the 12th such dust storm to blanket Iraq this year. 

The Kurdistan Region’s provinces were similarly affected by the dusty conditions, which were accompanied by scattered thunderstorms and strong wind. 

The construction of dams and low precipitation has caused decreased water levels in Iraq’s rivers, drying up large parts of land in a country referred to as the Land of the Two Rivers in ancient times. 

The United Nations ranks Iraq as the fifth most vulnerable country to the adverse effects of climate change. 

The UN Food and Agriculture Agency (FAO) on Thursday announced that the country’s rhim gazelles at the Sawa wildlife reserve are threatened by extinction due to drought. 

Furthermore, crop yields in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have significantly decreased amid global wheat shortages caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.