It has turned into a continuing torture in the summer in Iraq as the thermometer has been stuck for days close to 50 degrees.
An unusual heatwave is hitting Iraq this June, with temperatures hovering above normal. In Baghdad, the thermometer showed 50 degrees in the shade at the beginning of the month, according to the state television network.
According to the APE-MPE, due to lack of maintenance and resources, the electricity network is collapsing, resulting in Iraqis having electricity only a few hours a day. And not everyone can afford private companies, as the cost is about 100 euros per month for a family of four.
"National priority"
Iraq is facing a summer out of hell, following a spring marked by sandstorms and dust, which were also caused by climate change and desertification, according to meteorologists.
"As heat waves and sandstorms are expected to increase, we expect to have more patients with climate-related health problems," said Saif al-Badr, a spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Health.
Climate is changing, temperatures are rising and Iraq is at the forefront of the effects of climate change, President Barham Saleh has warned. He called for the treatment of its effects to be reduced to a "national priority because it poses an existential threat to future generations".
In the province the crops are expected to be catastrophic. "Desertification is affecting 39% of Iraq, and water scarcity is a problem in all of our provinces," Saleh said.
At the moment, the climate is in the background on the political agenda.
Eight months after the parliamentary elections, the Shiite parties, which have a majority in parliament, have failed to agree on who will be the country's prime minister. Incumbent Prime Minister Mustafa Kazimi is dealing with current affairs.
For Natak al-Hafaji, a resident of Nasiriyah, this means "living without electricity". Today the temperature reaches 44 degrees Celsius. "I can still stand it, but for children and the elderly it is very difficult."
"The heat kills us"
Although Iraq is a country rich in hydrocarbons, it is facing energy shortages. That's why he had to turn to Iran, which supplies him with a third of the gas it needs to generate electricity.
But Baghdad owed $ 1.6 billion to Tehran, which cut off gas supplies for a few weeks in the spring. Iraq finally settled its debt in mid-June.
However, the numerous, daily power outages did not stop.
At the same time, the level of the rivers is constantly decreasing due to the reduced rainfall and the dams created by Iran and Turkey.
And that's just the beginning. The World Bank estimates that if Iraq does not adopt appropriate policies, the country's available water reserves could be reduced by 20% by 2050.
