Sandstorm suspends education and other activities in Iraq

BAGHDAD – Classes at schools in Iraq were suspended for one day due to a heavy sandstorm, according to the Education Ministry.

The ministry said in a statement that the heavy sandstorm, which started in the morning in many cities, including the capital Baghdad, negatively affected life. Dozens of people at risk of suffocation were hospitalized.

On May 5, one person had died and more than 5,000 needed treatment for breathing problems after a powerful sandstorm had swept through the country.

The latest sandstorm forced the closure of airports, schools, universities and public administrations across the country, officials said.

It is the eighth duststorm since mid-April to hit Iraq, which has been battered by soil degradation, intense droughts and low rainfall linked to climate change.

The storm drastically reduced visibility to just 300 metres (yards) at Baghdad airport, prompting authorities to close airspace and halt flights. Airports in Najaf and Sulaimaniyah were also closed for the day.

Authorities in seven of Iraq’s 18 provinces, including Baghdad, ordered government offices to shut.

Health units across the country remained open, however, as authorities warned that the most at risk were the elderly and people suffering from chronic respiratory diseases and heart ailments.

Schools nationwide were also shuttered and end of year exams postponed to Tuesday. Universities have also delayed exams.

The trend of sandstorms has been associated with overuse of river water, more dams, overgrazing and deforestation.

Iraq is rich in oil and is known in Arabic as the land of the two rivers — in reference to the legendary Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

But the supply of water has been declining for years and Iraq is classified as one of the world’s five countries most vulnerable to climate change and desertification.

In April, an environment ministry official warned that Iraq could face “272 days of dust” a year over the next two decades.