At least two people were killed and 11 injured in flash floods caused by heavy rain across Iraq.
The worst-hit areas were in the mountainous Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq, where a deluge of rainwater inundated streets on Tuesday, catching residents off guard.
The two victims were trapped in their vehicle and swept away by floodwaters in Dahuk province, authorities said late on Tuesday.
In response to the crisis, local authorities across Iraq announced Tuesday and Wednesday would be holidays, mainly for schools.
At least 30 houses suffered damages from the floods in the province, Civil Defence spokesman Col Bewar Abdul Aziz told state-run TV.
Dahuk is one of three provinces that make up Kurdistan Region.
The rain, the heaviest in Iraq this winter, was accompanied by thunderstorms, which began on Monday.
The force of the rushing water washed away cars and toppled trees.
Rain continued to fall on Wednesday in some parts in Iraq, mainly Kurdistan.
Emergency response teams, including municipality workers and Civil Defence services, were on hand to rescue people stuck in cars and homes.
In the past three years, Iraq has faced record summer temperatures that exceeded 50°C in many areas, as well as insufficient and diminishing rainfall and frequent sand and dust storms.
Reduced water flow from its two main rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris, and record heatwaves have intensified drought and water scarcity.
Desertification affects 39 per cent of the country and 54 per cent of its agricultural land has been degraded, mainly due to soil salinity caused by historically low river levels, lack of rain and rising sea levels.
Low-quality infrastructure has resulted in serious flooding in some areas. Anger over poor services and corruption prompted months-long protests in 2019.
Since then reforms have been announced and billions of dollars spent on projects, but there has been little evidence of significant change.
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Name: Maitha Qambar
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Education: Master’s Degree
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She says: “Everyone has a purpose in life and everyone learns from their experiences”
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From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
