The Negev desert in Israel, where residents have experienced surges in air pollution. Reuters
The Negev desert in Israel, where residents have experienced surges in air pollution. Reuters
The Negev desert in Israel, where residents have experienced surges in air pollution. Reuters
The Negev desert in Israel, where residents have experienced surges in air pollution. Reuters

Israel's Negev desert is a hotspot for dust storms


Rosie Scammell
  • English
  • Arabic

With dust turning skies ochre across the Middle East, Israel’s southern desert region is one hot spot where residents face surging air pollution when the storms hit.

On a hilltop overlooking Beer Sheva, the largest city in the Negev desert, Prof Victor Novack looks out over the haze.

“Dust is coming from the Sahara, in this direction,” he said, an arm sweeping to the south.

“During the transitional periods — spring, [autumn] — it’s just blowing all over the Middle East and southern European countries,” said Prof Novack, who is head of clinical research at Beer Sheva’s Soroka University Medical Centre, ahead of World Environment Day on June 5.

Such storms in recent weeks prompted the Israeli government to issue air pollution warnings, telling vulnerable groups to avoid outdoor exercise.

While natural dust has been sweeping across the region for millennia, in recent decades human activity has increasingly been a source of dust storms.

The World Bank attributed this to “land-use changes and human-induced climate change” in a 2019 report.

In Beer Sheva, construction cranes dot the skyline as the city of more than 200,000 residents expands further.

Although the Negev is Israel’s driest region, a government alert from April warned of “high air pollution in most parts of the country” as the result of a dust storm crossing the eastern border.

There has been an increase in dust coming from the east over the past decade, according to Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry, but, notably, a reduction in dust from the west.

“We saw a decrease in the [overall] number of dust storms approaching us,” Eitan Maza, an air quality forecaster at the ministry, told The National.

In an agricultural community a few kilometres north of Beer Sheva, one resident said the sizable growth in car use is affecting the area.

“The biggest problem is from vehicles on the roads,” said Ron Cohen, the agricultural manager of Kibbutz Lahav and surrounding communities.

“There is a lot of dust from the vehicles, there is also a lot of dust in the air. Why? Because it’s near the desert and because of the winds,” he said.

While overseeing the growing of fruit, vegetables and nuts, Mr Cohen over the past few years has noticed a rise in temperatures and gradual delays to the start of the winter rainfall.

For elderly Negev residents or those with health issues, such as diabetes or lung conditions, the onset of a dust storm brings significant risks.

Dust storm hits Idlib province in Syria – in pictures

  • A youth uses a metal detector during a dust storm over Zardana in the countryside of Idlib province, Syria. All photos: AFP
    A youth uses a metal detector during a dust storm over Zardana in the countryside of Idlib province, Syria. All photos: AFP
  • Displaced children sit next to their tent during the dust storm in Zardana.
    Displaced children sit next to their tent during the dust storm in Zardana.
  • A shepherd guides his flock through the storm.
    A shepherd guides his flock through the storm.
  • A family takes shelter in Zardana as the storm sweeps across Idlib province, north-western Syria.
    A family takes shelter in Zardana as the storm sweeps across Idlib province, north-western Syria.
  • The harvest continues in Zardana, as the dust storm blows in.
    The harvest continues in Zardana, as the dust storm blows in.
  • The dust storm turns the sky orange.
    The dust storm turns the sky orange.
  • The storm blows in over north-western Syrian.
    The storm blows in over north-western Syrian.
  • Syrians ride horses during a dust storm on the outskirts of the rebel-held town of Dana, in the north-western Idlib province, near the Turkish border.
    Syrians ride horses during a dust storm on the outskirts of the rebel-held town of Dana, in the north-western Idlib province, near the Turkish border.
  • Visibility is poor for these drivers in Dana.
    Visibility is poor for these drivers in Dana.
  • A displaced Syrian takes a picture of the sky during the dust storm.
    A displaced Syrian takes a picture of the sky during the dust storm.
  • The storm blows over a makeshift camp in Dana, Syria.
    The storm blows over a makeshift camp in Dana, Syria.
  • The rebel-held town of Dana is coated in dust and sand.
    The rebel-held town of Dana is coated in dust and sand.
  • Displaced children play with goats during the dust storm in Dana.
    Displaced children play with goats during the dust storm in Dana.

“We looked at the purchase of inhalers [for asthmatics], the day of the dust storm, the day after. It goes up by 100 per cent,” Prof Novack said.

There is a 20 per cent increase in patients admitted to Soroka hospital with pulmonary diseases during the storms, he said.

Israel’s Ministry of Health did not provide figures on patients treated for dust-related problems over the years, when contacted by The National.

However, a study on Israel, Greece and Cyprus published last year by the World Health Organisation, reported that dust storms affect the respiratory system and those with allergies and asthma.

Globally, the World Bank estimates that dust emissions “have increased by 25 per cent to 50 per cent over the past century”.

If the trend continues, more countries may soon need to adapt their healthcare systems to address the effects.

For Prof Novack, data being gathered now in Israel and the wider Middle East could prove invaluable.

“We need to be ready, and probably the solutions will come from this part of the world," he said. “Getting aware of what everyone will experience.”

What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

How do Sim card scams work?

Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.

They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.

They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.

The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.

TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SE%20(second%20generation)
%3Cp%3EDisplay%3A%2040mm%2C%20324%20x%20394%3B%2044mm%2C%20368%20x%20448%3B%20Retina%20LTPO%20OLED%2C%20up%20to%201000%20nits%3B%20Ion-X%20glass%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EProcessor%3A%20Apple%20S8%2C%20W3%20wireless%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECapacity%3A%2032GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMemory%3A%201GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPlatform%3A%20watchOS%209%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EHealth%20metrics%3A%202nd-gen%20heart%20rate%20sensor%2C%20workouts%2C%20fall%2Fcrash%20detection%3B%20emergency%20SOS%2C%20international%20emergency%20calling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EConnectivity%3A%20GPS%2FGPS%20%2B%20cellular%3B%20Wi-Fi%2C%20LTE%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDurability%3A%20Water%20resistant%20up%20to%2050m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%20269mAh%20Li-ion%2C%20up%20to%2018h%2C%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECards%3A%20eSIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFinishes%3A%20Aluminium%3B%20midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%20Watch%20SE%2C%20magnetic-to-USB-C%20charging%20cable%2C%20band%2Floop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPrice%3A%20Starts%20at%20Dh999%20(40mm)%20%2F%201%2C119%20(44mm)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap​​​​​​​
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal​​​​​​​
Rating: 3.5/5

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
Recent winners

2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)

2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)

2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)

2007 Grace Bijjani  (Mexico)

2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)

2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)

2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)

2011 Maria Farah (Canada)

2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)

2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)              

2014 Lia Saad  (UAE)

2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)

2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)

2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)

2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)

PRESIDENTS CUP

Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:

02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mobile phone packages comparison
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Secret Nation: The Hidden Armenians of Turkey
Avedis Hadjian, (IB Tauris)
 

West Indies v India - Third ODI

India 251-4 (50 overs)
Dhoni (78*), Rahane (72), Jadhav (40)
Cummins (2-56), Bishoo (1-38)
West Indies 158 (38.1 overs)
Mohammed (40), Powell (30), Hope (24)
Ashwin (3-28), Yadav (3-41), Pandya (2-32)

India won by 93 runs

What is tokenisation?

Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets. 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg

Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).

Second leg

Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm

Games on BeIN Sports

Company name: Play:Date

Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day

Founder: Shamim Kassibawi

Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US

Sector: Tech 

Size: 20 employees

Stage of funding: Seed

Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund

If you go

The flights

Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes. 

The car

Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.

The hotels

Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes. 

More info

To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest. 

 

Updated: June 03, 2022, 11:06 AM