The European Commission announced an initial amount of €1.2 million in response to the recent floods in Iran.
The emergency funding is going to assist the most vulnerable communities, the EU website said Thursday.
Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides said, “We stand in full solidarity with the Iranian people at this difficult time. Our thoughts are with the thousands of families affected by the deadly floods as well as with the brave responders on the ground. The EU will help deliver essential support in the impacted areas.”
The new funding will support humanitarian partners, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in delivering relief assistance, which will allow the most-affected to cover their urgent needs.
Record spring rainfall in Iran in the past two weeks caused serious flooding in many areas, mainly the provinces of Golestan, Lorestan, Khuzestan, Fars and Ilam, forcing thousands to leave their homes. The death toll in the disaster has reached 67.
While the rescue and relief teams are busy working in the flood-hit areas, the US sanctions have frozen all accounts of Iran’s Red Crescent Society and have barred Tehran from receiving foreign aid, including rescue helicopters.
On Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani decried the “unprecedented crime” of banning the delivery of foreign relief for flood victims in Iran and for the Red Crescent.
