
Please try another search
DAKAR (Reuters) - A cloud of dust brought by dry winds from the Sahara has settled over much of West and Central Africa, reducing visibility, choking residents, and disrupting fishing in the Senegal's capital Dakar.
Each year, dry, dusty winds sweep in from the Sahara and cover much of West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. The yearly phenomenon, known as the Harmattan season, runs from November through March.
"Those who have toddlers with poor health like mine, who is not yet one year old, cannot work properly," said Khoudia Ndiaye, who sells fish at a market in Dakar. "Yesterday I couldn't work because of the dust, I had to go home."
The hazy weather has blanketed Senegal's capital since the start of the week, coating the city with fine dust particles that have prompted health and air quality warnings from the environment ministry.
In a statement, the ministry urged people to curb outside sporting activities and suggested that children, the elderly and those suffering from respiratory problems remain indoors. The importance of wearing face masks, which have become commonplace in the COVID-19 era, was reinforced.
Authorities in Cameroon this week also warned that a huge plume of Saharan dust carried by Harmattan winds was expected to hit its three northern provinces, reducing visibility. It urged residents not to travel.
The dust cloud in Senegal reduced visibility to a few dozen metres, leading to a reduction of fishing, an essential source of income for many families, along Dakar's shoreline.
At Soumbedioune, one of the city's main fish markets, a few fishermen loiter around the shipyard. A barely visible red flag flutters in the wind.
"You can see the red flag behind me indicates that it is still dangerous," said Moustapha Ndoye, the head of the fishmongers' association.
Some fishermen have been unable to fish for several days, he added.
(Reuters) - Satellite pictures released on Thursday showed devastation at a Russian air base in Crimea, hit in an attack that suggested Kyiv may have obtained new long-range...
By Kanishka Singh (Reuters) -Police were locked in a standoff on Thursday with an armed man who tried to breach the FBI building in Cincinnati, Ohio, earlier in the day before...
By Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared victory over COVID-19 and his sister indicated that he too caught the virus, while...
Are you sure you want to block %USER_NAME%?
By doing so, you and %USER_NAME% will not be able to see any of each other's Investing.com's posts.
%USER_NAME% was successfully added to your Block List
Since you’ve just unblocked this person, you must wait 48 hours before renewing the block.
I feel that this comment is:
Thank You!
Your report has been sent to our moderators for review
Add a Comment
We encourage you to use comments to engage with other users, share your perspective and ask questions of authors and each other. However, in order to maintain the high level of discourse we’ve all come to value and expect, please keep the following criteria in mind:
Enrich the conversation, don’t trash it.
Stay focused and on track. Only post material that’s relevant to the topic being discussed.
Be respectful. Even negative opinions can be framed positively and diplomatically. Avoid profanity, slander or personal attacks directed at an author or another user. Racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination will not be tolerated.
Perpetrators of spam or abuse will be deleted from the site and prohibited from future registration at Investing.com’s discretion.