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International Relief Efforts Continue in Iran
Written by
Bonnie Gillespie
, Staff Writer, Redcross.org
Friday, January 02, 2004 — After the catastrophic earthquake that struck southeastern Iran on Dec. 26, a monumental international relief operation is underway in the ancient city of Bam and the surrounding region, bringing emergency supplies to more than 240,000 residents affected by the disaster.
More than 92,000 tents distributed by the Iranian Red Crescent Society are providing shelter to the tens of thousands left homeless by the quake. With evening temperatures plummeting below zero, many earthquake survivors are staying warm with the help the 200,000 blankets, 56,000 items of clothing and 51,000 kerosene heaters supplied by Red Cross partners, but the frigid conditions remain hazardous.
Iranian Red Crescent volunteers assist in search and rescue efforts in Bam.
Image Courtesy of the IFRC |
“Despite all that has been done we need to continue focusing on shelter and keeping people warm and fed,” said Mostafa Moghaghegh, head of the Iranian Red Crescent international department. “The real winter is coming in a few weeks’ time and the situation of the homeless will then be really critical.”
Other relief agency leaders agree of the mounting cold weather crisis, as the risk of contracting disease heightens during wintry weather.
"The biggest health challenge we are facing at the moment is the threat posed by the cold, which means that pneumonia and respiratory tract infections will increase, particularly among vulnerable children," said Dr. Richard Munz, health coordinator in Bam for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The tragedy claimed at least 28,000 lives and injured 30,000 residents when it hit during the early morning hours. Reports indicate that 85 percent of the structures in Bam were reduced to rubble within 30 seconds, since the historical city consists primarily of low-level structures made primarily of mud and brick.
The Iranian Red Crescent continues to engage in search and rescue efforts as relief operations expand with additional supplies arriving daily. Red Crescent rescue teams reported that 95 percent of the destroyed buildings have now been searched and chances of finding more survivors are unlikely.
"Now that the search and rescue phase has wound down and as the relief becomes more orderly and controlled, an area that we can't overlook is the psychological support of the survivors, many of whom have suffered unbearable loss and great grief," Dennis McClean of the IFRC in Bam told Alertnet.
Iranian Red Crescent workers are providing emergency medical care to quake survivors, especially the vulnerable children.
Image Courtesy of the IFRC |
In addition to lending emotional support, Red Cross teams opened a 250-bed referral hospital to treat the injured in Bam, replacing the city’s two main medical facilities that were leveled by the quake. Seven other medical clinics, as well as mobile medical units, are being used by the Red Cross volunteers to service victims throughout the affected area.
Since the earthquake struck, more than 7,000 relief workers and medical personnel have been dispatched to the region. Two thousand additional volunteers are on the ground in Bam and the neighboring provinces of Zahedan, Bandar Abbas and Yazd.
Red Cross partners are also assisting more than 1,300 children who are ”unaccompanied” following the quake. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is assisting with family tracing inquiries in an effort to reunite the children with their parents or with extended family members if they were orphaned during the disastrous event.
The American Red Cross has deployed a four-person Relief Emergency Response Unit to Bam where team members are working with Red Cross Movement partners to distribute relief supplies to those in need. Emergency items currently stored in Bulgaria, including 500 tents, 30,000 blankets 14,900 water containers and 2,225 plastic tarpaulins, will be shipped to Iran in the coming days with the help of the Bulgarian Red Cross.
“This team will provide further assessment of the needs of the population affected, and the American Red Cross will continue to work with its partner national societies to assist the vulnerable in Iran,” said Douglas K. Allen, director of the International Disaster Response Unit at the American Red Cross.
Contacting Families in Iran
Phone communication has been partially restored, and those with family and loved ones in the region are being encouraged to continue to contact them by traditional means. When that falls though, the American Red Cross is there to help. Red Cross volunteers at local chapters will collect information on relatives believed to be missing and send these inquiries to staff at the American Red Cross National Headquarters, who will then work directly with the Iranian Red Crescent society to locate missing family members.
What You Can Do To Help
You can help those affected by the earthquake in Iran and countless other crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance, and other support to those in need. Donate online or call toll free 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-257-7575 for Spanish speakers) or you can mail in your gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.
To find out additional information on how to help earthquake victims, please visit our special page regarding donations for relief in Iran.
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