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Thousands of Ahwazi citizens suffered from suffocation as a result of dust storms

According to the official statistics of the Department of Health in northern

of Al-Ahwaz more than 1,000 Ahwazi citizens suffered from suffocation and went to CCU and ICU sections of the Ahwazi hospitals as a result of dust storms that is sweeping many cities of Al-Ahwaz, in recent days.

According to the reports the pollution in the air exceeded more than twenty times the normal rate in the Ahwaz capital and Abadan, reaching more than 1,500 micrograms per cubic meter.

The rate of pollution in the atmosphere of Al-Ahwaz cities as a result of dust storms were reached high record levels where the dust percentage of air in the city of Arjan east of Ahwaz capital reached to 593 micrograms per cubic meter, the city of Tostar (Shushtar Iranian name) in the north of Ahwaz capital to 1118 micrograms per cubic meter, Khafajiyeh (Susangered Iranian name) west of Ahwaz capital to 965 micrograms per cubic meter, Falahieyh (Shadegan Iranian name) southwest of the Ahwaz capital to 916 micrograms per cubic meter and Salehiyeh(Andimeshk Iranian name)  north of Ahwaz capital to 725 micrograms per cubic meter.

The local sources quoted to Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) that thousands of Ahwazi citizens were taken to hospitals in the Ahwaz capital for treatment after the deterioration of their health, noting that most patients were elderly. The dust storms have forced thousands of Ahwazis to stay in their homes and caused a malfunction to the wireless communication system (mobile phone network) with schools’ closure for three days.

The Iranian authorities also announced the cancellation of all flights to and from the airports of the Ahwaz capital, Abadan and Qoneitareh (Dezful Iranian Name) due to low level of visibility, which reached to less than 500 meters, according to the Department of Meteorology in Ahwaz capital.

Apart from severe Ahwazi air pollution, Ahwazis are suffering from acid rain that causing tens of thousands (more than 22 thousands) of Ahwazi Arab people to enter the various hospitals in Al-Ahwaz region. ACHR has documented a report about the facts leading to acid rain in Al-Ahwaz.

Al-Ahwaz has seen several demonstrations in last several years where the largest demo was in February 2015, with the participation of thousands of Ahwazi in front of the Khuzestan (part of Al-Ahwaz) governor’s building in the Ahwaz capital to condemn the policies of drying Ahwazi rivers and marshes that have caused environmental pollution and the phenomenon of dust storms.

International experts and specialists has confirmed that the criminal policies of the Iranian authorities, such as the construction of dozens of dams on the Ahwazi rivers and the transfer of water to the Persian regions caused the drought of Ahwazi marshes and spread of desertification that led to the emergence of a wave of catastrophic dust storms.

Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights

31-10-2016

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