Torrential rain causes flash floods in northern Iraq, killing more than 10

At least 12 people have died and many others were injured by severe flooding in northern Iraq, Iraqi officials said on December 17, 2021. Rescue efforts were under way to find people who remain missing. The floods were caused by torrential rainfall in Arbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. It was the latest in a succession of extreme weather events in Iraq. Scientists say climate change has intensified extreme weather, including droughts as well as the rainstorms.