Toxic dust storms have hit Sistan and Baluchistan again, causing severe respiratory problems among residents and leading to renewed panic over public health in the region.
Up to 766 people received medical attention for respiratory illness caused by the storm, with at least 53 people being hospitalized, according to information provided by Aliakbar Nasiri, the dean of Zabol’s University of Medical Sciences and confirmed by the Ministry of Health. All health centers affiliated with the university are currently said to be treating patients with pulmonary conditions.
The region is regularly affected by severe dust storms, exacerbated by the deterioration of Sistan and Baluchistan’s Hamoun wetlands. The recent storm began in Zabol on August 11, reaching a speed of about 100 kilometers per hour by the next day. According to the Ana news site, visibility near the Hamoun marsh had decreased to less than 200 meters. Following on from the initial storm, dust then began to extend to central parts of the province, including Zahedan, Nosratabad, Khash and Mirjaveh. A drop in temperature of between three and five degrees was also reported.
The deputy of the aid department of the Red Crescent rescue organization said they were focusing on three towns in particular, Zabol, Hirmand and Zahak, as well as 48 surrounding villages. Hossein Darvishi from the general office of social and public affairs of the Red Crescent told the Ana news site that 98,000 masks had been distributed.
In addition to a rise in tuberculosis and pulmonary disease, the region’s agricultural production has been badly affected, having an impact on livelihoods.
The World Health Organization has warned that Iran has “four of the 10 cities with the highest air pollution levels in the world, ranking it eighth in air pollution levels globally.” Similar storms regularly hit Iran’s Khuzestan province near the border with Iraq, resulting in high levels of pollution and an increase in respiratory illnesses, cancers and other serious diseases.
Read the original article in Persian
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