Dust Storm in Sistan and Baluchestan Sends Dozens to Hospitals Again

Following the intensification of a dust storm in Sistan and Baluchestan province, which had previously led to the closure of all offices, dozens of people were sent to hospitals on Sunday, August 21. According to Tasnim News Agency, citing the Director General of Crisis Management in the Sistan and Baluchestan Governorate, since Saturday, '246 people' have visited hospitals due to the storm. Abdul Rahman Shahnavazi attributed the hospital visits to 'respiratory problems caused by the storm and dust.' He stated that the patients experienced 'respiratory attacks,' with 46 of them hospitalized due to 'the need for further care.' A meteorological official in Sistan and Baluchestan had previously reported the storm's speed at 119 kilometers per hour. Ali Malashahi, head of the meteorological warning committee in the province, said, 'In the past 24 hours, wind speed at the Zahedan station reached 119 kilometers per hour.' According to Mr. Malashahi, 'The maximum concentration of dust at Zahedan airport was reported at 9075 micrograms per cubic meter, which is 60 times the permissible limit.' This level at Zahedan airport was reported at 1675 micrograms per cubic meter, which is 11 times the permissible limit. As the dust storm intensified in the province, the Crisis Management Office announced the closure of 'all offices in Sistan' on Saturday. The director of this office also advised patients, the elderly, and children to avoid 'unnecessary travel.' Residents of Sistan and Baluchestan have been struggling with air pollution and dust storms, especially in recent months. In July of this year, a dust storm sent over a hundred people to hospitals. The drying of the Hamoun wetland, drought in Sistan, and climate change have not only affected public health but also disrupted agriculture and daily life, raising air pollution levels to 20 times the permissible limit. The drying of Hamoun and insufficient water rights from the Helmand River provided by Afghanistan have also been cited as other causes of these dust storms. According to a representative from Sistan and Baluchestan in the Supreme Council of Provinces, drought has impoverished the people of this province to the extent that children go to school 'without breakfast,' 'some people have not seen a piece of meat for months,' and they survive on 'dry bread.' Sistan and Baluchestan, where most residents are Sunni Muslims, is one of the most deprived provinces in Iran, and drought and air pollution have exacerbated the challenges faced by this province.