May 27, 2022 Issue

NASIRIYAH, IRAQ A heavy sandstorm blows through southern Iraq on May 5 leaving everything covered in a thick sheet of orange dust. The fifth such storm to hit the country within a month, it grounded flights and left thousands hospitalized with respiratory problems. Sandstorms, while common in the region, have become far more frequent in recent years thanks to record low rainfall, soil degradation and climate change.