Climate & Environment

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The intense heat that has struck Saudi Arabia during the holy pilgrimage period for Muslims has reportedly claimed over 1,000 lives.
On Thursday (June 20), reports from various sources declared that 1,081 people have died during the hajj, or annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The high heat – which topped out at 51.8 degrees Celsius or 125 degrees Fahrenheit at the Grand Mosque in Mecca – experienced in the Middle Eastern nation was cited as the primary reason for the deaths, with the total coming from reports compiled by various countries that the pilgrims had come from within the past few days.

According to reports, 1.8 million made the pilgrimage this year, with 1.6 million people visiting from foreign countries. The disclosure comes days after Saudi officials declared that this year’s season was a “success.” Health Minister Fahd al-Jalajel expressed “particular satisfaction with the fact that there were no outbreaks or other public health threats despite the significant number of pilgrims and the challenges posed by high temperatures.”
Jordan’s official news agency stated on Wednesday (June 19), that there were burial permits issued for 41 pilgrims from the country. Tunisia’s Foreign Ministry said the day before that at least 35 citizens of that country had perished. Egyptians accounted for the largest number of casualties from the group with 658 reported deceased, according to one diplomatic source. It is believed 630 of them were unregistered with the Saudi authorities, which prevented them from accessing the numerous air-conditioned spaces in the city of Mecca and along the pilgrimage route to cool down.
They have set up an “operations room” to address calls from distressed relatives and have personnel in Mecca to assist with bringing the dead back to Egypt. India, Russia, Pakistan and Senegal have also reported some of their citizens dying on this season’s hajj. The hajj is a requirement of every Muslim if they are able, although in recent years the rising heat has posed difficulties for older pilgrims with health issues like high blood pressure. Climate change has been a concern as the lunar calendar that Islam follows has placed the time for the pilgrimage during the hottest times of the year. Saudi Arabia has worked to provide advanced cooling systems in light of that for all undertaking the hajj.