Sandstorm in Sistan and Baluchestan; Over 500 People Sent to Medical Centers

On Friday, July 13, a sandstorm in Sistan and Baluchestan caused over 500 people to be sent to hospitals and medical centers. The Crisis Management Office of Sistan and Baluchestan announced on Friday: "Following a new wave of dust storms, in the past 24 hours, 565 residents of this province have been sent to medical facilities." The new wave of storms and dust began on Thursday, marking the third occurrence since the beginning of July, severely challenging the residents of the Sistan region in northern Sistan and Baluchestan. The speed of this storm, known as the '120-day winds,' has reached over 100 kilometers per hour in some areas of the province, reducing horizontal visibility to 600 meters. Previously, Majid Mohibi, the head of the Crisis Management Office of Sistan and Baluchestan, announced on July 6 that due to strong winds accompanied by dust in the north of the province, 1,010 people had visited medical centers, with 162 of them hospitalized. The state news agency IRNA also mentioned that environmental issues in the hot and dry province of Sistan and Baluchestan have created problems for its residents. According to this report, the occurrence of drought and floods, relatively strong 120-day winds, dust storms, seismic activity, and the dryness of the international Hamoun wetland, combined with hot and dry weather, have severely impacted the economic and health conditions of the people in this region. Sistan and Baluchestan is considered the most deprived province and has the highest poverty rate in Iran.