The Saudi government has not yet provided an official report regarding this Sunday’s hajj. However, he estimates that 83% of those who died following the intense heat were illegal travelers. How can the authorities better control the situation?
Tl;dr
- 1,301 pilgrims died during a heatwave during the hajj.
- 83% of dead pilgrims were not allowed to participate.
- Saudi health minister declares pilgrimage successful.
- Mecca is experiencing above-average global warming.
Saudi Arabia and the tragedy of the pilgrimage
Saudi Arabia recently declared a disaster for the great annual Muslim pilgrimage, or hajj, to Mecca: the deaths of more than 1,300 pilgrims. There majority of victims were without official authorizations.
Successful pilgrimage or avoidable tragedy?
The severity of the tragedy is reinforced by the fact that 83% of the victims were not authorized to perform the hajj. Despite this tragic event, Fahad Al-Jalajel, the Saudi Minister of Health, described the management of the pilgrimage as ” success “.
The hajj crisis: a harbinger of global warming?
The other major concern is the severity of temperatures, which are now reaching dangerous levels.
Mecca has already experienced a warming of almost 2°C. American researchers warn that global warming risks exposing pilgrims to a “extreme danger” in the future.
The reaction of the authorities to the tragedy
Faced with this tragedy, Saudi Arabia has not failed to comment officially or provide a detailed assessment.
However, Egyptian authorities ordered the revocation of the licenses of sixteen tourism companies and referral of their officials to court for « fraud »after making pilgrims travel illegally to Mecca.
In this complex and emotionally charged context, the question that remains is: how many more will have to suffer or die before adequate action is taken? Only time will provide the answer.
