By Camille Moretti with AFP
Published
April 16, 2025 at 9:10 a.m.,
updated April 16, 2025 at 9:10 a.m.
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VIDEO – Due to this phenomenon, 3,747 cases of suffocation have been identified in the country since Monday.
An orange sky overlooks Iraq. A sandstorm fell on the center and the south of the country, forcing the Iraqis to put on sanitary masks to protect their lungs. More than 3,700 people were treated for respiratory problems, according to a report by the Ministry of Health published Tuesday, April 15.
«Due to the storm, 3,747 cases of suffocation have been identified since Monday. They were admitted to the emergency room in Baghdad and in the other provinces“Said the spokesman for the Ministry of Health, Saif al-Badr, adding that”no one has been admitted to intensive care». Most of these cases have recovered and left the hospital after receiving the right care, according to this source.
Greater and more numerous storms
If the phenomenon experienced a relative respite in 2023 and 2024, sandstorms, which are generally triggered in the spring, have won both in number and in recent years in Iraq. It is one of the five countries in the world most vulnerable to certain effects of climate change and desertification.
On Monday, the storm also forced Najaf and Bassra airports temporarily suspending their flights, reports the airport authorities. In the past, the phenomenon has also led to the closure of schools and administrations.
