Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani directed the suspension of working hours in all provinces of the country for Monday due to heavy rainfall and bad weather conditions.
Torrential downpours accompanied by strong windstorms and floods caused significant material damage in the provinces of Baghdad, Anbar, Najaf, Diwaniyah, and Wasit on Sunday.
Water levels rose in many of the provinces, including Najaf, where water swept into houses, the historic Great Mosque of Kufa, and the Najaf International Airport.
The suspension excludes security and service intuitions, according to a statement from the Iraqi government’s general secretariat. No casualties have been reported.
The country is the fifth-most vulnerable nation in the world to the effects of climate change, including water and food insecurity.
Last year, low rainfall levels and high temperatures caused by climate change depleted water supplies across the country. Much of Iraq’s agricultural lands depend on irrigation, but dams and reservoirs were at record-low levels in the summer of 2021.