Iraqi merchants struggle on amid strong sandstorms

BAGHDAD－The thick layer of dust blanketing the sky did not deter Muhammed Ghalib from walking to work in Baghdad's main commercial district on Monday, as the latest in an unrelenting series of intense sandstorms swept Iraq.

The dust coated his eyelashes a shade of orange. He arrived at 4 am, at the height of the storm, and sat outside his stall by the street to sell household goods in the Iraqi capital's Shorja market. "Life goes on," he said.

Ghalib was among merchants in the capital who did not heed public warnings on Monday to stay indoors because of poor weather conditions, lamenting financial losses and hardship amid ongoing economic woes. The Health Ministry said there were at least 1,700 cases of severe respiratory difficulties in Baghdad on Monday because of the storm.

There have been at least eight sandstorms in Iraq since April. They have landed thousands of Iraqis in hospital with severe breathing difficulties and at least one person died, according to Iraq's Health Ministry, which declared a state of emergency.

Monday's sandstorm killed two people in neighboring Syria's eastern province of Deir el-Zour along the border with Iraq, according to official news agency SANA. It reported that hundreds of people were taken to hospital after suffering breathing problems, adding that the dead were a father and his son in Deir el-Zour.

Sham FM radio reported that a young man suffocated in the village of Al-Harijia north of Deir el-Zour.

Dust storms are a seasonal occurrence in Iraq, but their frequency this year has alarmed experts who blame drought, rapid desertification and climate change.

On Monday, Baghdad Governor Mohammed Jaber al-Atta called for the suspension of official working hours in the province, with all departments excluding the Health Ministry temporarily closed. The provinces of Wasit, Diwaniyah and Babil also declared Monday a public holiday owing to the severity of the dust storm.

In the last major sandstorm on May 5, the Health Ministry said one person died in Iraq and 5,000 people were admitted to hospital. Ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr said on Monday that Iraq's medical facilities were on alert.

Flights were suspended at Baghdad, Najaf and Sulaimaniyah airports due to low visibility.

Climate activists have blamed poor water management policies for the increase in sandstorms. The phenomenon is expected to become more frequent amid record-low rainfall and rising summer temperatures.

Essa Fayadh, a senior Environment Ministry official, said the government has struggled to address desertification across vast swathes of agricultural land due to declining water reserves, which are down 50 percent from last year.

"For this reason, we could only divert water to irrigate 50 percent of agricultural lands this year," he told The Associated Press. "We had to prioritize food security with the resources we have."

In the capital, Iraqis are learning to adapt under a sepia sky. Many on the street wore surgical masks. "We have no choice," said Ghalib, beating the dust from the dish cloths hanging outside his stall. A few minutes later, he does it again.

Nearby, Ahmed Saddi lamented the dwindling business. "There is no one, and that hurts (us) a lot."

But customers still lined up outside Abid Sultan's restaurant along Rasheed Street. Munching on rice dishes, his patrons joked the dust was extra seasoning.

Dust covered the fruits being sold across vegetable markets. Sajed Hamed, an employee in one stall, wiped apples and apricots with tissue.

"People still have to eat," he said.

Agencies via Xinhua