Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Ministry of Health and Environment recorded more than 500 cases of asphyxia due to the dust storm that hit the country on Sunday.

The Ministry's spokesman, Saif al-Badr, confirmed that all cases had recovered and no deaths were recorded.

Dust storms have increased dramatically in Iraq in recent years, driven by soil degradation and intense droughts made worse by climate change, with rising average temperatures and sharply lower rainfall.

As the storm swept Iraq, it shrouded the capital Baghdad and the holy city of Najaf in ghostly orange clouds of choking dust.