On 23 Jan. 2018, the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) hosted a briefing session with Ambassadors and international organisations’ representatives to discuss the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Kermanshah on 12 November of last year and the response operation. The meeting, hosted by Dr. Ali Asghar Peyvandi, (President of the IRCS), provided an opportunity for the IRCS to outline their response efforts and foster greater collaboration with the international community. Having been a strong supporter of the meeting, the UN was represented by OCHA, UNICEF and UNFPA which confirmed their organisations’ readiness to assist Iran if requested. The meeting follows on from an earlier series of meetings that took place on the 8-9 January between the IRCS and the various UN agencies in Iran.
The IRCS also used the meeting to give thanks to the international community for their ongoing support. Specific thanks were given to Pakistan and Thailand for their support following the Kermanshah earthquake and to the UN for providing relief items. The meeting was particularly timely, with several smaller earthquakes having occurred since the Kermanshah, including in Hojdak and Kuhbanan in Kerman, Soomar, Bushehr, and Tehran, all the while Kermanshah continues to shake with daily aftershocks.
The IRCS’ rescue and relief activities to-date in Kermanshah have been significant. Already they have seen the deployment of 89,000 tents and the medical treatment of some 31,014 people. Further activities are also due to take place within the framework of a joint operational plan devised in combination with the IFRC (International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies). The plan, covering the period to December 2018, will see 200,000 people targeted with interventions and activities covering various aspects including shelter, livelihoods, health, Nutrition and Food Security, WASH, DRR and organisational capacity building, should the necessary funds be raised.
This post was originally published by UN Iran. Click here to read.