As hundreds die from heat during the Hajj, recent study had warned of escalating climate-related health risks in Makkah

Over 550 pilgrims have died due to heat-related illnesses during this year’s annual Hajj in and around the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia, according to media reports.

Most of the dead — over 300 people — were Egyptians. Many from the North African country are also missing. The rest belonged to Jordan, Tunisia and other countries from the Muslim world.

But as the Saudi government has brushed aside reports of any deaths on the pilgrimage, a study published earlier this year had warned about the climate-related risks hanging over the annual pilgrimage.

Hajj, along with Sawm (fasting), Salat (prayer), Zakat (almsgiving or charity) and Tawhid (monotheism or belief in One God), is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Every adult Muslim is mandated to perform the Hajj once in their lifetime as religious duty.

Hajj rituals

The hajj involves religious rituals. There is the tawaf, the circumambulation of the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure at the heart of the Grand Mosque of Makkah (Masjid Al Haram).

Pilgrims also throw stones at three pillars in a ritual known as ‘Stoning of the Devil.’

They walk back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah, as tribute to Hajar or Hajrah, the Egyptian wife of the prophet Ibrahim/Abraham. Hajar ran back seven times between the hills, searching for water as her child, the infant Ishmael or Ismail was extremely thirsty.

The pilgrims also visit the well of Zamzam, where, according to tradition, the Angel Gabriel (Jibreel) opened the ground and a spring burst forth, with precious water for Hajar and Ishmael.

The Hajis also visit the Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon.   

All these rituals are to be performed by pilgrims wearing ihram clothes, simple white apparel usually made from unstitched cloth.

Rising temperatures

Earlier this year, a study by Saudi scientists had warned that the area around Makkah has been experiencing rising temperatures due to climate change. This could have profound implications for the health of Hajis.

Escalating climate-related health risks for Hajj pilgrims to Mecca “was designed to elucidate the interplay between increasing ambient temperatures, incidence of HRIs (heat-related illnesses) and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies during the annual Hajj mass gathering over a 40-year period”.

The experts utilised historical records spanning four decades of meteorological data. They also looked at the rates of heat stroke (HS) and heat exhaustion (HE) during the Hajj.

They then “analysed temporal variations in weather conditions over two distinct Hajj hot cycles and correlated it with the occurrence of HS and HE. The effectiveness of deployed mitigation measures in alleviating health vulnerabilities between the two cycles was also assessed”.

The results revealed that throughout the study period, average dry and wet bulb temperatures in Makkah escalated by 0.4°C and 0.2°C per decade, respectively.

‘Wet-bulb temperature’ usually combines dry air temperature with humidity.

The experts also found that both temperatures were strongly correlated with the incidence of HS and HE.

“Intriguingly, our data suggest that the intensifying heat may be outpacing current mitigation efforts, signalling a need to recalibrate existing approaches,” the scientists wrote.

They also pointed out that the Hajj, which sees 2 million pilgrims from 180 countries participate, “serves as a unique microcosm for studying heat-related risks”.

“This international diversity means that our findings are not only locally relevant but can also be generalized to a global population. Therefore, these insights hold immense value for the planning and refinement of public health interventions worldwide,” the scientists said.