Iranian authorities closed Monday, July 4, schools, universities and administrations in Tehran and several cities in the south-west of the country because of a new sandstorm from Iraq and Syria.
With our correspondent in Tehran, Siavosh Ghazi
Schools, universities and administrations are closed for the fourth time in two months in Tehran and in part of western Iran, in the province of Alborz. In addition to the sandstorm, there is pollution and heat that make life even more difficult, says Pegah, a 40-year-old resident of Tehran. ” It’s catastrophic, she says. On the one hand there is heat, on the other pollution and dust in the air which are worse than heat. In addition, you have to put the masks back on, because there is again a resumption of the coronavirus. It becomes very difficult to breathe. »
On social networks, residents share videos showing a sky darkened by pollution and the sandstorm. Authorities have advised residents, especially the elderly and children, not to go out into the streets.
Iraq and Syria singled out
These sand and dust storms, increasingly common in the region, are composed of particles that can lead to hospitalizations for respiratory problems. According to the Tehran Meteorological Organization, dust waves are expected especially in the south and west of the capital for the next five days.
Discussions are being held with Baghdad, Damascus but also Turkey, which has built many dams upstream on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, causing the desertification of entire regions in Iraq and Syria, to find a solution to these phenomena. .