Severe Sandstorm in Iraq Disrupts Infrastructure and Hospitalizes Over 1,800

The storm, affecting central and southern provinces, caused respiratory issues, power outages, and airport closures, with conditions expected to improve by Tuesday morning.

More than 1,800 people in Iraq were hospitalized due to respiratory problems caused by a severe sandstorm, with cases concentrated in provinces like Muthanna, Najaf, Diwaniyah, Dhi Qar, and Basra.
Key airports in Najaf and Basra were temporarily shut down as visibility dropped to less than one kilometer due to the storm, the largest reported this year.
Additional disruptions included power outages across affected provinces, compounding the storm’s impact on daily life and infrastructure.
The sandstorm highlights the increasing frequency and severity of such events in Iraq, exacerbated by climate change and desertification, which have degraded 71% of the country’s arable land.
Weather services forecast the storm to dissipate by Tuesday morning, but the event underscores Iraq’s vulnerability to extreme weather and the need for sustainable environmental policies.