In
a bid to avert another humanitarian crisis in the earthquake
devastated city of Bam, the International Federation is appealing
for more funds so earthquake victims can get the emergency assistance
they will need for months to come.
Ambassadors, heads of UN agencies, journalists and government
officials descended on Bam today for a whirlwind tour of the
stricken city and a visit to the Iranian Red Crescent Operations
Centre.
“I am deeply shocked at the extent of the damage that
I have seen today and my heart goes out to all those who continue
to suffer here,” says Federation president, Juan Manuel
Suarez del Toro, after the tour, obviously moved.
Reflecting the good cooperation and collaboration between them
so that both organizations complement each other’s work,
the International Federation and the UN simultaneously launched
appeals today for Bam. The launch took place during a ceremony
in the devastated city in a giant warehouse constructed in the
last 48 hours to hold relief supplies.
“This is the first time we have launched an emergency
appeal together with the UN,” Suárez del Toro claims.
“I hope that this act of humanitarian solidarity will
be appreciated by the donor community as we seek to avoid duplication
of efforts and work more closely together to serve the needs
of the most vulnerable.”
The International Federation is appealing for US$42 million
to support the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) operation
to assist up to 210,000 people for about eight months. The operation
will help provide basic food, shelter and other essential relief
supplies to 150,000 people. Efforts to prevent outbreaks of
water-borne-epidemics will be made through the continued provision
of water and sanitation facilities and building of latrines.
Funds raised will also help restore the primary health care
and hospital referral services in the region. With the support
of ECHO, a 240-bed Red Cross Red Crescent hospital is already
in place along with three satellite clinics. The appeal envisages
financial support for these services along with mobile clinics,
a 30-bed rehabilitation centre and unit to provide psychological
support to both earthquake victims and relief workers.
“We cannot ever begin to comprehend what the people of
Bam have experienced,” says Jan Egeland, the UN Under-Secretary
General for Humanitarian Affairs. “I am more touched by
what I see here than any other place I have visited recently.
There are so many people who have lost countless relatives in
this catastrophe.”
He also congratulated the Iranian Red Crescent for their incredible
work, including that of the local branch, which in spite of
losing four of its seven staff members, responded within minutes
of the quake.
The UN is appealing for more than US$ 30 million to support
food, shelter, water and sanitation, protection and long-term
reconstruction programmes in Bam.
“We have seen an incredible level of cooperation among
the international community during this operation,” says
Dr. Ahmad Ali Noorbala, president of the Iranian Red Crescent.
“Even on New Year’s Day, there were international
relief flights arriving in Bam. We wish to express our heartfelt
thanks to the UN, International Federation and all those donors
who will respond to this appeal.”
“The spirit of humanity goes beyond politics, religion,
regionalism and shows how we can unite the world,” Dr.Khoshru,
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, states at the appeal launch.
“The Iranian people have witnessed first hand this sense
of unity through the abundance of international assistance provided
during the last two weeks.”
Some 350 relief flights have arrived in Iran since the quake
struck on 26 December. In the first three days, more than 1,600
foreign relief workers from 36 countries arrived to help. Some
1,700 Iranian Red Crescent staff and volunteers continue to
work day and night supporting rescue and relief programmes.
“The size of this disaster calls for long-term humanitarian
action,” says Dr. Abdul Raliman, president of the Saudi
Arabia Red Crescent. “I am here to offer our condolences
to our brothers in the Iranian Red Crescent, visit our field
hospital and participate in the launch of the Federation’s
appeal.”
“I have never seen such devastation as here today in Bam,”
Philip MacKinnon, the Canadian Ambassador to Iran, says. “It
is truly amazing that so many people were rescued by the survivors
and rescue teams.” Volunteers from the Iranian Red Crescent
alone rescued more than 11,000 people from the rubble.
MacKinnon was one of more than a dozen foreign ambassadors who
came from Tehran to attend the launch of the two appeals and
to visit the Iranian Red Crescent Society headquarters and medical
facilities, along with the International Federation field hospital
in Bam.
Iran is the fourth most disaster prone country in the world.
Since 1919, the International Federation has launched 35 emergency
appeals in response to disasters in Iran. “This is the
highest number of appeals we have launched for any single country,”
says Suárez de Toro. “They have all received a
very generous response from the world community and we are confident
that donors will respond fully to the appeal we are launching
today, here in Bam.”
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Left
to Right - Federation president, Juan Manuel Suárez
del Toro, Federation deputy secretary general, Abbas Gullet,
Iranian Red Crescent president, Dr Ahmad Ali Noorbala
and UN Under Secretary General, Jan Egeland - in Bam.
(p10973)
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More
and more patients are being brought to the Red Cross Red
Crescent hospital in Bam. Funds from the appeal will support
the continuation of medical services to earthquake victims
for many months (p10974)
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The
operation will help provide basic food, shelter and other
essential relief supplies to 150,000 people (p10984)
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