Iraq at a standstill during latest sandstorm

Another sandstorm hit Iraq on Monday, causing the closure of airports, schools, universities, and government offices across the country, according to officials.

Iraq has been pounded by soil degradation, extreme droughts, and low rainfall linked to climate change, and this is the ninth duststorm to slam the country since mid-April.

The most recent one, earlier this month, resulted in the death of one person and the hospitalization of 5,000 others due to respiratory ailments.

According to AFP correspondents, a thick cloud of dust shrouded Baghdad and many other cities on Monday, including the Shiite shrine city of Najaf in the south and Sulaimaniyah in the northern Kurdish autonomous zone.

Yellow and orange sand-covered building roofs, cars, and even crept into homes.

It drastically reduced visibility to just 300 meters (yards) at Baghdad airport, prompting authorities to close airspace and halt flights, state-run INA news agency reported.

Najaf and Sulaimaniyah airports were also closed for the day, according to the agency.

Government offices have been ordered to close in seven of Iraq’s 18 provinces, including Baghdad.

However, health clinics across the country remained open as authorities warned that the elderly and those with chronic respiratory and cardiac conditions were the most vulnerable.

Schools around the country were also closed, and end-of-year exams were rescheduled for Tuesday. Exams were also postponed at universities.

Weather authorities predicted that the current sandstorm would gradually dissipate by Monday evening.

Dust and sandstorms have always afflicted the Middle East, but they have become more common and intense in recent years.

Overuse of river water increased dams, overgrazing, and deforestation have all been linked to the trend.

Iraq is known as the Land of the Two Rivers in Arabic, referring to the fabled Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

However, water supplies have been dwindling for years, and Iraq is one of the world’s five most vulnerable countries to climate change and desertification.

An official from Iraq’s environment ministry warned in April that the country might endure “272 days of dust” per year during the next two decades.