Greetings to everyone on the InformationWar community. It's your friend saying hello from this part of the world. Do have a nice time ahead.
It's been weeks since the current sandstorms evaded the Middle East with Iraq and Afghanistan having the most frequent sandstorm since mid-April.
The sandstorms have affected economic and social activities in Iraq, including; schools, markets and currently flight activities as well as traveling long distances with vehicles. It should be noted that the visibility range of the sandstorm is just 100 meters. This means that people with eye issues will be mostly affected, while many without eye issues prior to the sandstorms are exposed to eye issues due to the particles that constantly enters their eyes on a daily basis.
Medical officials say hundreds of Iraqis in Baghdad and other cities went to hospitals with breathing difficulties.Source
Apart from ophthalmological issues faced by Iraqi citizens, most people are diagnosed with breathing difficulties with relations to respiratory and lung infections caused by the intake of contaminated a air from the sandstorms.
The latest heavy sandstorm to hit Iraq has forced some schools and offices to close, while flights at Baghdad Airport have also been suspended.
The education ministry and other offices declared Monday a day off for local government institutions, with the exception of health services. According to medical officials, hundreds of people across Baghdad and southern cities went to hospitals with breathing difficulties.Source
The suspension of school and other economic activities in Iraqi city of Baghdad simply shows the gravity of the heavy sandstorms which can lead to serious medical issues if not handled with care. The sandstorms are actually tiny particles that could access an individual's nose and eyes that could lead to blindness and respiratory tract infections. Medical experts have advised government to reduce the activities of citizens until the sandstorms reduce drastically in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities.
Baghdad International Airport said in a statement that it was closing its airspace and halting all flights until further notice because of low visibility. The state-run INA news agency reported that airports in Najaf and Sulaimaniyah were also closed for the day.Source
One of the most economic activities that's affected by the current heavy sandstorm is the close of Baghdad's International Airport from any flight. This is a huge economic setback to the Iraqi government and a huge disappointment to travelers who have several appointments in other parts of the world. This situation is beyond human control, so everyone involved should be patient with the decisions of the government on no flight zone in Baghdad's International Airport.
“It’s every three or four days now,” said taxi driver Ahmed Zaman, 23. “It’s clearly a result of climate change and lack of rain, whenever there’s wind it just kicks up dust and sand.”Source
The current sandstorms in the Middle East is as a result of climate change that has caused severe drought in the region and I believe that the sandstorms will become a regular occurrence in the region if they don't experience a significant amount of rainfall this year and beyond.