Apr 1, 2019

Iranian towns and villages have been hit with floods for a second straight week as officials trade accusations over their response efforts. Meanwhile, the Iranian Red Crescent is complaining that US sanctions are impeding aid efforts.

The southwestern province of Lorestan is the latest area to be hit by flooding. Iranians on social media shared videos and pictures from today, April 1, showing homes swept away by the floods, blocks of homes completely immersed in water, and collapsed bridges. One viral video showed a home under water up to its roof.

Many other Iranian provinces are not out of the clear yet. The Meteorological Organization of Iran warned of more showers, heavy winds, flooding and overflowing rivers in a number of provinces, including Khuzestan, Ilam, Kermanshah, Kordestan and Chaharmahal Bakhtiari. Officials have warned Iranians to not travel in the western and southwestern provinces and to stay away or be alert when traveling in areas experiencing flooding.

Meanwhile, a top Iranian aid official has complained about the impact of US sanctions on the recovery and aid efforts. Ali Asghar Peyvandi, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, said March 30, “Prior to the [reimposition of US] sanctions, we had some Red Crescent accounts connected to SWIFT, and we sought international aid through them. However, at present, these accounts have been sanctioned and there is no possibility for money transfers from other countries,” including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

"During the [2017] earthquake in Kermanshah," Peyvandi said, "we were forced to use the account of a hospital belonging to the Iranian Red Crescent Society to receive aid from the federation.” He continued, “We’ve written to the federation and the United Nations about the impact of the sanctions on our ability to receive international aid, but we have not received an answer.” He added that as a humanitarian organization involved in disaster relief, the Iranian Red Crescent Society expects to be exempt from US sanctions, but so far they have not received any such exemptions.