ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Strong winds created a large dust storm that covered much of northern Iraq on Friday and sent dozens of people to hospital in Kirkuk with breathing problems.
“Fast winds in central and southern parts of the country picked up a lot of dust,” Amer Jaberi, spokesperson for the Iraqi Agrometeorological Center, said on Saturday.
In Kirkuk, 84 people sought medical treatment at six different hospitals because of the dust. Most of those admitted have been treated and sent back home, spokesperson for Kirkuk’s health department Saman Yaba told Rudaw.
The storm is forecast to wind down Saturday afternoon.
Dust storms are a familiar seasonal challenge in Iraq, but their frequency and intensity have worsened due to drought, desertification, and rising temperatures. According to the environment ministry, Iraq has recorded an average of 272 dusty days annually over the last two decades. That figure could rise to 300 days per year by 2050 if current trends continue.
Forty-one percent of Iraq is now desert, according to researcher Rebin Samad, and climate change is worsening the situation. A drop in rainfall and vegetation has caused a yearly decline in the number of date palms, further intensifying dust storm conditions.
With desertification increasingly taking its toll on Iraq, researchers warned that agricultural land and inhabited areas could soon be threatened unless urgent measures are undertaken.
In mid-April, over 3,700 people were admitted to hospitals across the country due to breathing difficulties caused by dust storms.