Severe floods in Iraq leave several dead, adding to climate strains

Iraq is contending with both heavy rains and increasing desertification.

AL-MONITOR Staff
AL-MONITOR Staff
Apr 13, 2023
Iraqi children cross a flooded street in the Iraqi capital Baghdad after heavy rains, on Dec. 24, 2022.
Iraqi children cross a flooded street in the Iraqi capital Baghdad after heavy rains on Dec. 24, 2022. — SABAH ARAR/AFP via Getty Images

Severe floods in Iraq this week have left several dead as the country faces considerable other environmental risks. 

The heavy rain that began on Tuesday has affected several parts of the country, including the Kurdistan Region, the northern city of Kirkuk, the capital Baghdad and the central Babil province. The rain continued Wednesday and Thursday, causing severe flooding. 

Agence France-Presse reported on Thursday that three people were electrocuted in Babil during the storm. Another two were killed by lightning strikes in the Kurdistan Region, according to Arabic news reports. 

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