PM:01:07:26/05/2022
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SULAIMANI — The Kurdistan
Region's environmental committee has said that climate change, including lack
of humidity and green space outside of Iraq, is responsible for the increasing
number of dust storms striking Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
The committee's spokesperson
Abdul-Razaq Khaylani said on Thursday (May 26) that the Kurdistan Region cannot
prevent dust storms because they come from outside of the region.
Khaylani told the Kurdish Service
of Voice of America (VOA) that the dust storms are caused by a lack of humidity
and green space in the areas where they come from.
He said that recent dust storms
have come from Eastern Jordan, Eastern Syria and North Africa.
He explained that tiny particles
of sand in the deserts of the above-mentioned regions could easily be carried
away by the wind when there are no humidity or green areas.
He added that while the rate of
green space in the Kurdistan Region is between eight to 10 per cent, the KRG
aims to increase that rate; however, this would not prevent the dust storms.
This year, Iraq and the Kurdistan
Region have been gripped by a series of dust storms, prompting hundreds of
people to visit hospitals with breathing difficulties and causing disruptions
to flights and schools.
The most recent incident of the
sandstorm was earlier this week.
(NRT Digital Media)