ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Dust storms set Iraq back around one million US dollars a day due to the damage they cause across various sectors, the Green Iraq Observatory revealed on Tuesday.

“Storms blowing across Iraq are estimated to cause financial losses of $1 million daily,” as a result of the financial strain these storms put on an array of sectors in the country, the environmental organization said in a statement.

The most affected area is the health sector, the observatory said, predominantly through “the ministry's expenditures on respiratory patients,” while car accidents due to reduced visibility and ensuing health costs present another challenge to Iraq’s finances during these storms.

A severe sandstorm on Monday swept through Iraq, lending a yellow hue to several Iraqi cities, reducing visibility, and exacerbating air quality, causing breathing problems among citizens that saw over 400 hospital admissions across Diyala and more than 90 others in Kirkuk.

In mid-April, the country was enveloped by another storm that sent around 3,700 people to hospitals across Iraq and resulted in the temporary closure of Basra and Najaf airports for the duration of the storm.

In addition to the substantial damage they cause to crops and animals, sandstorms also cause large amounts of water waste due to cleaning operations in homes, offices, government buildings, and cars, the observatory stated.

Iraq, with its vast desert lands and diminishing rainfall, has seen an increase in the frequency of dust storms, owing to rising temperatures and climatic change.

Green Iraq called on responsible authorities to address these challenges by putting more focus on afforestation and installing a green belt around the country's provinces, "particularly those on the border.”