The poisoned clouds that are suffocating the people of Iraq
Flames of burning gas that puncture the sky are not just killing the planet – they’re killing Iraqis. In oil towns blighted by this toxic air across the country, locals tell Bel Trew they fear for their future as, one by one, their friends and family are struck by disease
Friday 16 April 2021 10:10
Apr 20, 2021 05:17 PM EDT
On the bad days, when the chimneys make much noise so intensely that the windows vibrate, families say thick smoke appears in the air, killing plants and dusting everything to volcanic grey. For many years now, this has been the stale life of people in Iraq, where air pollution is at its all-time high.
(Photo : Getty Images)
Great Contributor to the Climate Crisis
For the residents of Nahran Omar, a town in southern Iraq that is next to some oil wells, the flames coming from the towers, ejecting chemicals that are toxic into the air, are their everyday reality. This disputed flaring practice - burning excess gas manufactured during the oil extraction - is a great contributor to the climate crisis, scientists say, but also a dangerous threat to those who live close by.
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