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Iraq sandstorm sends more than 1,000 to hospital with respiratory ailments

The Alarabyia English reported, citing the AFP, Iraqi state media said that more than 1,000 Iraqis were rushed to hospital with respiratory ailments on Thursday (May 5) due to a sandstorm, the seventh to hit the country in the past month.
Residents of six of Iraq’s 18 provinces, including Baghdad and the vast western region of al-Anbar, awoke once again to a thick cloud of dust blanketing the sky.
Authorities in al-Anbar and Kirkuk provinces, north of the capital, urged people to stay indoors, said the official INA news agency.
Anas Qais, a health official cited by INA, said that hospitals in al-Anbar province had received more than 700 patients with breathing difficulties.

The news agency added that the central province of Salaheddin reported more than 300 cases, while the central province of Diwaniya and the province of Najaf, south of Baghdad, each recorded about 100 cases.
Iraq is particularly vulnerable to climate change, having already witnessed record low rainfall and high temperatures in the past few years.
Study says Netherlands ‘should apologize for 2015 Iraq strike’ that killed 85 civilians
Experts have said these factors threaten to bring social and economic disaster in the war-scarred country.
In November, the World Bank warned Iraq could suffer a 20-percent drop in water resources by 2050 due to climate change.
In early April, a government official warned Iraq could face “272 days of dust” a year in coming decades.
800 Iraqi refugees return home from northeast Syria over difficult economic conditions
The environment ministry said the weather phenomenon could be addressed by “increasing vegetation cover and creating forests that act as windbreaks.”
Source: alarabiyaenglish
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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