TEHRAN – The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (ICRC), in cooperation with the German Red Cross, has dispatched the second humanitarian shipment to the country.

The consignment consists of 10 trucks carrying 18 tons of essential goods and sanitary packages like first-aid kits, trauma kits, as well as items for dealing with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents, to improve resilience, and support the operational capacity of the IRCS, as well as enhance their capacity to respond to emergencies.

Lauding the international support following the outbreak of the 40-day imposed US-Israeli war against Iran, Babak Mahmoudi, an official with the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), said humanitarian assistance helps strengthen rescuers’ spirit and community resilience, particularly those affected, IRNA reported.

The first consignment of humanitarian relief items from ICRC was delivered in April.
The shipment included 171 tons of essential items such as blankets, water containers, kitchen sets, tarpaulin cloths, hygiene parcels, solar lamps, buckets, and mattresses that were delivered by five trucks, IRNA reported.
Moreover, 200 generators and 100 water pumps, purchased from the country’s market, were donated to the IRCS.

The two shipments will provide for the basic needs of 25,000 families.

The ICRC representative to Iran, Vincent Cassard, hoped the consignment would help alleviate part of the suffering and pain of the Iranian people caused by the destructive measures of the US and Israel during the war.

IRCS helps boost ICRC operational capacity

The IRCS and the ICRC have held a workshop on safety equipment and personal protection in chemical incidents for 50 selected members of rapid response and primary medical care teams of the IRCS.

The five-day training course was held in Tehran from June 7 to 21, targeting basic health care unit (BHCU) team leaders from five high-risk provinces, namely Tehran, Qom, Markazi, Isfahan, and Bushehr, as well as passive defense trainers, IRNA reported

At the opening ceremony, Morteza Moradipour, Director General for Passive Defense of the Red Crescent Society, referring to the last two periods of escalation of conflicts in Iran, said “This course provides the participants with the opportunity to learn how to use safety equipment related to chemical incidents prepared in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross and chemical defense training in cooperation with Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences.” He also said that the course will continue to be held for other IRCS employees, the ICRC website reported.

The course was held in two theoretical and practical modules. The participants learned about different types of chemicals, how to use safety equipment, how to provide assistance to the affected population, how to decontaminate people affected by chemicals, and how to provide relief and rescue to the population affected by chemical agents during war.

The ICRC helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often with its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.

ICRC also seeks to prevent hardship by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and championing universal humanitarian principles. People know they can count on us to carry out a range of life-saving activities in conflict zones and to work closely with the communities there to understand and meet their needs. Our experience and expertise enable us to respond quickly and effectively, without taking sides.