Sistan and Baluchestan Struggles to Breathe

The crisis caused by dust storms and increased dust levels continues in Sistan and Baluchestan province. Nasser Charkhsaz, head of the Red Crescent's rescue and relief organization, stated in an interview with Fars that unfortunately, about 400 villages in the districts of Zahak, Nimruz, Zabol, and Hirmand have been affected by this incident, with many residential homes surrounded by sand. However, it is not true that the villages and their inhabitants are buried in sand. Charkhsaz further mentioned that in recent days, a storm with a speed of 95 kilometers per hour swept through the northern districts of the province, causing significant problems for the people, especially in health, agriculture, and water sectors. The scale of this storm was such that, according to Houshang Nazari, the deputy governor of Sistan and Baluchestan, due to the high wind speed and visibility reduction to 200 meters, as well as an increase in airborne particles up to 60 times the unhealthy conditions, offices in five northern cities of the province were closed. In this regard, Ali Akbar Nasiri, head of the Medical Sciences University of Zabol, reported to the Oshida news site that from the beginning of the storm until 8 AM on July 24, 1879 people had visited hospital emergency rooms due to complications arising from the dust phenomenon, including respiratory, cardiac, and eye problems, as well as traffic accidents. It is noteworthy that in recent days, several social media users, especially on Instagram, have shared many photos of this storm and its consequences using the hashtag 'Sistan has no breath.' The 120-day winds of Sistan and Baluchestan usually start in early May and continue until September or even October, which is why they are known as the 120-day winds. The maximum speed of these winds in July is estimated to reach 100 kilometers per hour, but the average speed in summer is about 26 kilometers per hour and in winter about 13 kilometers per hour.