It is a world of red sandy deserts (hence its name--the Red Planet), cloudless skies, savage sandstorms, chasms wider than the Grand Canyon and at least one mountain more than twice as tall as Everest.
And aid workers say life is even harder for people in southern Iraq, where rising temperatures and the increasing frequency of desert sandstorms have driven thousands of people from their homes in recent years.
The most recent severe sandstorm swept through the vast area of northern China between March 19 and 22, covering a larger area and at a higher intensity than has typically been recorded in prior years.
But within hours of entering the canal at approximately 7: 30 am local time on the 23rd of March, the Ever Given experienced a freak sandstorm event that obscured visibility aboard.