Baghdad skyline covered in dense gray smog
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) — A pungent, sulfur-like odor returned to envelope several residential districts across Baghdad overnight between Friday and Saturday, August 29, 2026, marking the latest wave of recurrent toxic air pollution that has triggered widespread public health concerns and resident complaints.
The recurrence comes less than three weeks after an intense sulfur plume blanketed southern and central Baghdad for 48 hours, prompting fresh warnings from the Green Iraq Observatory regarding untreated industrial emissions, unregulated open burning, and poor environmental oversight
According environmental evaluations by the Green Iraq Observatory, the recurrent pollution wave stems from a combination of industrial practices and meteorological dynamics:
The Green Iraq Observatory warned that the return of sulfur emissions within less than two weeks disproves official claims of containment, highlighting severe health ramifications: