Suffocation cases rise to 365+ in Iraq’s Najaf dust storm
Shafaq News- Najaf
More than 365 suffocation cases were recorded after a powerful dust storm swept through Najaf province in southern Iraq, Abdullah Al-Ghazali, head of the province’s Health Directorate, said on Monday.
Al-Ghazali confirmed that all patients received the necessary treatment and were later discharged without any deaths recorded. Health institutions across Najaf mobilized emergency measures, supplying hospitals with allergy and asthma medications alongside sufficient oxygen stocks. Ambulance teams were also instructed to respond rapidly to urgent cases.
Authorities had initially reported 65 suffocation cases earlier today after the storm swept across western Iraq, spreading through Al-Anbar before reaching Babil and Baghdad.
Iraq has experienced a sharp rise in dust storms during the 2025 season, with repeated waves disrupting daily life, grounding flights, and sending thousands to hospitals with respiratory problems. Environmental experts link the worsening storms to drought, desertification, declining vegetation cover, and climate change, warning that Iraq is becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events.
Read more: Iraq’s dust storms: deep environmental and political fault lines
