Cities CHOKED: Powerful dust storm reaches Kurdistan Region

Shafaq News/ A powerful dust storm swept across northern Iraq on Monday, blanketing cities in thick haze, halting outdoor life, and sending dozens to hospitals for treatment.

In Kirkuk, nearly 100 people were hospitalized with breathing problems, health officials confirmed. “We’ve activated emergency protocols and urge residents to stay indoors,” Saman Yaba, spokesperson for the Kirkuk Health Directorate, told Shafaq News.

The storm rolled into Erbil and Al-Sulaymaniyah soon after, forcing residents to seal homes and don masks as visibility plunged. Local reporters described the air as "unbreathable," with hospitals treating numerous cases of suffocation.

Iraq’s Meteorological Authority anticipates improved conditions by mid-May, but environmental experts warn that without reforestation and water policy reforms, such storms may intensify in the coming years.