Over the past two months, Iraqis have been living, breathing and working in thick clouds of dust, as at least nine sandstorms — each lasting up to several days — have hit the country, blanketing everything in grit.
Hospitals have reported a surge in admissions, with thousands of patients arriving with severe respiratory illnesses, while schools and offices have had to close and flights have been grounded for days at a time.
"I can't walk outside without coughing or covering my mouth," said Azzam Alwash, founder of nongovernmental green group Nature Iraq, from his home in Baghdad. The latest storm "kept me in the house for two days. I have asthma, so I have to stay inside to protect my lungs," he said.