Saudi Arabia: Muslims feel the heat during Hajj
What should be a time of spiritual growth, cleansing and religious celebration for Muslims is now a period of heat and frustration for them during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, as temperatures rise in Saudi Arabia.
According to Reuters, 14 Jordanians have been reported dead during the pilgrimage with six of the fatalities being heat-related, “after suffering sunstroke due to the extreme heatwave,” the Jordanian foreign ministry said on the 15th of June.
On June 13th, the Saudi health ministry issued a warning of soaring temperatures, advising pilgrims to avoid being outdoors during the hottest hours of the day between 11 am and 3 pm (0800 GMT) and to stay hydrated.
National Meteorology Centre chief, Ayman Ghulam told a press conference on the 4th of June that “the expected climate for Hajj this year will witness an increase in average temperatures of one and a half to two degrees above normal in Mecca and Medina.”
While Saudi Arabia struggles to cope with the rising temperatures, other countries across the Middle East are facing the same problem, including Morocco and Tunisia. While Mali endures a record-breaking heatwave in the West African region.
READ: Morocco’s plan to tackle climate change
Among the heat and chaos, 17 others were reported missing during the sacred pilgrimage by the Jordanian foreign ministry on June 16th.
In coordination with Saudi authorities, the Jordanian foreign ministry is planning procedures to bury or transport the bodies of the deceased according to their family’s wishes.
The Hajj, ending on the 19th of June, is one of the largest mass gatherings in the world as a total of 1,833,164 Muslims are expected to take part this year, according to the General Authority for Statistics of the Saudi government.
This heat warning comes after a long line of stampedes, tent fires and rising temperatures that has caused hundreds of deaths at the event over the last 30 years.
During 2023, more than 2,000 Muslims taking part in the Hajj suffered heat stress in Saudi Arabia after temperatures soared to 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit), according to AFP.
With temperatures predicted to rise to 47 degrees Celsius (116 Fahrenheit) in Mecca on the 17th, worries of heat stroke continue to threaten Jordanians who are taking part in the pilgrimage this year.
Reuters
