Iraqi sandstorm moving to other parts of the Middle East

Iraqi sandstorm heading toward region

Date: 12 / 07 / 2009 Time: 11:29
Dubai – Ma’an/Agencies -

Meteorologists warned Sunday that a large dust storm carrying two billion tons of sand and soil was advancing toward the Middle East on Saturday.

According to a report aired on the Dubai-based Al-Arabiyya satellite TV station, the week-long storm is an expansion of one that descended on Iraq last week, sending hundreds of people to the hospital.

The storm hit Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

Many Baghdad shops stayed closed last Sunday, while police wearing masks directed thin streams of traffic through eerily misty streets. Hospital emergency rooms were packed with people complaining about breathing problems, officials said.

"This is the worst dust storm we have ever had in Iraq," said Dr Jasib Lateef, operations manager at the Iraqi Health Ministry. "A large number of people are turning up at emergency rooms at hospitals, straining our resources."

A NASA satellite recently picked up images of the dust storm from space that revealed its sheer scale, covering a vast swathe of northwestern Iraq.

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