Dust storms continue to wreak havoc in Iraq
Millions of Iraqis has endured another dust storm this week, the latest in an unrelenting spate that has blanketed the country since last month.
Monday was declared a public holiday for all government staff except those working in health, services and security.
The Civil Aviation Authority also suspended all flights.
Iraq’s Meteorological Authority said the country had been hit by an anticyclone from the eastern Mediterranean, with wind speeds of between 40 and 50 kilometres an hour.
This lifted dust and sand from the vast expanses of desert in western and north-western parts of the country.
Almost all of Iraq will be hit by the latest storm, which was set to continue into yesterday afternoon and is expected to cross to the Gulf states, forecasters said.
Authorities urged Iraqis to stay indoors as much as possible, to seek treatment for breathing difficulties, and to put on surgical masks if they need to go out. A hotline has been set up for emergencies. The storm has left the usually traffic-choked Iraqi streets largely deserted, with a thick layer of dust settling on buildings and vehicles.
It has been more severe in the provinces of Najaf and Karbala, south of Baghdad, turning the skies orange.
Rescuers offered first aid to people with breathing difficulties, giving them oxygen in ambulances and on pavements.
The storm was strongest at the Iraqi-Syrian border.
One video published on social media by security forces showed the dust engulfing a caravan as at least two men inside covered themselves with sheets on their beds while the storm raged.
By Monday afternoon, flights had resumed at all airports.
Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country in the world to the effects of climate change, the UN has said.
It faces a wide range of challenges aggravated by water insecurity, mismanagement and man-made problems such as the illegal razing of agricultural areas to build houses.
Among the many devastating consequences of rising temperatures are droughts and desertification.
About 39 per cent of the country is affected by desertification and 54 per cent of its agricultural lands have been degraded mainly by soil salinity. This is caused by reduced water flows in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, a declining precipitation rate and sea level increases, the UN said.
Iraq is no stranger to sandstorms, but they have become much more frequent in recent years as the country reels from mounting environmental challenges.
Earlier this month, one person died and more than 5,000 were admitted to hospital suffering from breathing difficulties, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.
Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country in the world to the effects of climate change, the UN has said