KHAMSIN

Khamsin means 50 days in Arabic. Beginning the last ten days of June, all of July and the first 10 days of August the winds blow harsh, hot and from the land in Djibouti. The air is filled with red dust, sometimes so thick you cannot see the hood of your car driving down the road. Everything in our homes is covered with a thick layer of red dust. It blows in through the windows and under the doors. You can dust and scrub the floors every day and still never get rid of the grit. It is nasty and much like the Santa Anna winds in California, lasting longer and blowing harder.

Morning sunrises become cloudy, turning the rising sun a red-orange seen through a haze of red dust. There are many respiratory problems here. Lots of families suffer from asthma and many eye problems. Living and working outdoors during khamsin is difficult. When walking out in the open during khamsin, women use their headscarves to shield their faces from the pelting sand. White buildings turn a dirty red color and life goes on as usual,ʼN Shāʼal-Lh (God willing).