Deaths During Annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia Underscore Extreme Heat Dangers

Over 1,300 Muslim pilgrims reportedly died throughout the annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, this month in Saudi Arabia, the place temperatures have soared past 50 levels Celsius (122 levels Fahrenheit). 

Unmitigated publicity to excessive warmth could cause a spread of recognized well being harms together with organ failure and even loss of life. Warmth stress is believed to have precipitated most of the deaths, a totally preventable occasion. This reinforces the necessity for stronger warmth safety measures, particularly for teams notably susceptible to warmth stress like older folks and other people with disabilities. 

Unregistered pilgrims have been reportedly disadvantaged entry to public services like air-conditioned tents, misting facilities, transportation, or water rehydration areas. Excessive official Hajj prices are thought-about a main issue driving unregistered standing, with many tour firms sending pilgrims with out Hajj permits on obligatory private go to visas. Authorities have additionally emphasised that “83 % of [the dead] didn’t have permits, that means they have been uncovered to lengthy distances and durations below the solar with out shelter.…” 

Nevertheless, Saudi authorities have an obligation to guard folks’s well being from recognized hazards like excessive warmth, which the local weather disaster is just making extra frequent and intense. Past Hajj, they need to implement warmth safety measures to higher safeguard the well being of all these in danger. 

That is particularly pressing given Saudi Arabia’s plans below Imaginative and prescient 2030, which incorporates growing the annual variety of non secular pilgrims to 30 million from 8 million, and holding mega-events in sports activities and music that might entail excessive warmth publicity.  

Saudi Arabia additionally hosts tens of millions of migrant staff who perform the overwhelming majority of outside work and are uncovered to excessive warmth amid insufficient protections. There are a number of deliberate “giga-projects” that can depend on this a  big migrant workforce. This consists of FIFA’s 2034 Males’s World Cup, which Saudi Arabia – as the only bidder – is predicted to host;, the estimated US$500 billion NEOM metropolis;, the US$50 billion Pink Sea undertaking;, and the US$200 billion Al Qiddiya initiatives. To guard migrant staff, Saudi Arabia ought to implement risk-based measures such for environmental warmth and strenuous work generally assessed  generally by the Moist Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) to impose correct work-rest schedules.  

Subsequent yr’s Hajj, too, will happen throughout the summer season. Whereas authorities have acknowledged the intense warmth dangers and brought measures to mitigate the impacts for pilgrims, this yr’s excessive variety of deaths warmth stroke circumstances present that Saudi Arabia must do extra to handle this main public well being threat.