Sand and dust storms are becoming more frequent in the country, due to climate change.
Article written by
Posted
Update
Reading time : 1 min.
Baghdad International Airport was temporarily closed on Monday morning, June 13, due to a new dust storm that hit the Iraqi capital. This phenomenon has greatly increased in recent months in this semi-desert country, with ten sand and dust storms since mid-April. Local authorities point out that Iraq is one of the five countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and desertification.
Monday morning, a thick white dust covered Baghdad and its surroundings. The visibility did not exceed a few hundred meters. In Najaf, a Shiite holy city in the center of the country, the airport briefly suspended operations in the morning before reopening after a few hours, thanks to improved conditions. Iraqi airports have already been forced to briefly suspend flights on several occasions since mid-April.
Sandstorms that hit the country killed one person in May, while thousands of people had to be treated in hospital for respiratory ailments. Iraq, which is entering a scorching summer with temperatures approaching 50 degrees, should experience in the next two decades “272 Days of Dust” per year. The 300-day threshold will be reached in 2050, according to an official from the Iraqi environment ministry.