8am: Officials from the Herat Regional Hospital have verified an increase in respiratory illnesses within the province. They report that numerous individuals visit the hospital daily due to contracting these illnesses, and some are hospitalized due to the severity of their condition. Dawood Hashemi, the head of the General Admission Ward at the Herat Regional Hospital, reveals that in January of this year, the hospital received a daily influx of 300 to 350 individuals, with 25 percent of them suffering from respiratory illnesses. Mr. Hashemi attributes the increase in these illnesses to drought and air pollution. He says, “Air pollution. The diseases can be in these pollutants or gases are that scattered in the air people consume daily.” Click here to read more (external link).