Baghdad chokes under persistent suffocating smog

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Residents of Baghdad are angry about thick smog that has blanketed the Iraqi capital and say the government has failed to address a worsening environmental crisis. Local authorities and environmental experts say the pollution is driven by burning landfills, power generators, and factory emissions.

“Our children can barely breathe. What is this disaster? Isn’t the government supposed to intervene? Who is responsible for solving this?” asked Baghdad resident Ahmed Ali.

Karrar Jamal echoed concerns about the health impact on children. “Children are the hardest hit. Even for us adults, breathing this air causes difficulties,” he said. “Why are you burning waste? Move all the garbage to remote areas.”

“Let the relevant authorities and the Environment Ministry find a solution. Our situation is miserable, especially in the Karkh area,” said Hussein Ahmed, a Baghdad resident. “I swear to God, the sulfur-like smell has reached our homes. We are being suffocated.”

Government teams have identified multiple sites around Baghdad where waste is being burned, particularly in the area of the former Rasheed military base that has effectively been turned into a waste disposal site.

“Undoubtedly, the necessary solutions include stopping burning activities at the Rasheed base and suspending or reducing operations at brick factories,” Huda Jaleel, a member of the environment committee at the Baghdad Provincial Council, told Rudaw.

The Baghdad Operations Command has halted work at several asphalt and brick plants.

“Burning garbage at the Rasheed base is not the only contributor to this crisis,” said Muhseen Kadhim, head of Iraq’s civil defense. “Various factories, including brick factories, continue operating without adhering to regulations. We have taken measures against them.”

The Ministry of Environment has warned that climate change is exacerbating the problem, trapping pollution over the city for longer periods.

On Saturday morning, Baghdad’s air quality was 158 or “unhealthy” according to IQAir, a real-time air quality platform that frequently ranks the Iraqi capital amongst the most polluted cities in the world.

Halkawt Aziz contributed to this article from Baghdad