Impressions are caused by images coming from the Iraqas the last 24 hours of extensive sandstorms drown the residents by creating an eerie setting.
As a result, about 1,500 people were taken to Iraqi hospitals, with respiratory problems. The huge sandstorms swept the central and southern parts of the country, according to officials.
Videos that uploaded internet users to X (formerly Twitter) make an impression. Whole neighborhoods look covered with dense orange fog, while local media speaks of power outages in extensive areas and suspension of flights.
It is noted that dust storms are common in Iraq, but the phenomenon has been intensified in recent years due to climate change.
Those who move on the street wear protective masks or scarves trying to protect themselves from the sand, but the atmosphere remains choking.
WATCH Massive sandstorm blankets Iraq in apocalyptic orange, dimming the skies and reducing visibility to almost nothing pic.twitter.com/sI7jfm0Krd
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) April 14, 2025
Hospitals in Muthana province in southern Iraq have received at least “700 cases of respiratory failure”, one local official said.
Hundreds of patients were also transported to neighboring provinces.
Ive never seen a sandstorm like this before pic.twitter.com/dBGNb7MiML
Ali (@iraqmarxist) April 14, 2025
Visibility in some cases did not exceed one kilometer.
Iraq is ranked by the UN as one of the five countries that are more vulnerable to climate change, as it faces regular sandstorms, choking heat and water scarcity. In 2022 he accepted one of the largest sandstorms, with a man dying and 5,000 ending up in hospitals.