With the onset of spring in Iraq, which is battling drought and climate change, a sandstorm that started in Anbar province began to move to the central parts of the country. The Iraq Meteorology Directorate stated that the sandstorm has affected the western, northern, and central parts of the country and announced that it will spread to the south of the country as well. The Ministry of Health announced that all health institutions have been put on alert against the possible danger of suffocation.