On Tuesday, a dust storm blanketed Iraq, sending people to the hospital due to breathing difficulties. Airports, in response, suspended flights. 

The storm came after a similar one last week which also left scores hospitalized with respiratory problems. 

The skies of Baghdad are painted orange with the current storm, restricting vision as buildings and cars are covered in dust. The dust was so abundant that civilians had to wear disposable masks to avoid inhaling particles. 

"People have been hospitalized with breathing difficulties, but most cases are minor," Health Ministry Spokesperson Saif Al-Badr told AFP. 

Flights by the dozens have also been canceled or postponed in Baghdad and Najaf. Flights were then resumed back to normal in the afternoon after the weather improved, according to sources from the airport. 

That’s how Duhok province looked like today, because of a heavy dust storm throughout Iraq. pic.twitter.com/QwgTpuP12Z

— Farhad Barakat (@farhadbarakat) April 7, 2022

Although dust storms are not alien to Iraq when spring comes around, meteorologists expect them to become more frequent "due to drought, desertification and declining rainfall," as explained by the director of Iraq's meteorological office, Amer Al-Jabri. 

The storm, furthermore, may also exacerbate the economic crisis in a country still recovering from the two-decade-long war waged by Washington.