29 Mar 2024
Sunday 14 April 2019 - 17:51
Story Code : 345106

Iran: US obstructing aid to flood victims crime against humanity

FNA - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif categorically denounced the US move to obstruct aid to his compatriots affected by the recent unprecedented flood in the country as a crime against humanity.

Foreign Ministry has gathered a host of documents which indicate that some banks, concerned about US sanctions, are preventing international financial aid by those who are willing to help Iranians, Zarif said on Sunday on the sideline of an event in Tehran.

The documents will soon be published, he highlighted.

The US officials are forced to dismiss what they are doing but these claims are not true, said Zarif, adding that the US measures can be regarded as crime against humanity.

Unprecedented rainfalls since March 19 triggered disasterous floods in Iran. The tragedy started in the four Northern provinces of Mazandaran, Golestan, Semnan and North Khorassan on March 20. Thirty provinces of Iran have been hit by severe weather conditions since then.

Last week, the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) announced that Tehran has not been able to receive any foreign financial aid because of Washingtons inhuman" sanctions against the country.

"No foreign cash donation has been made to the Iranian Red Crescent Society yet and basically there are no financial channels available to do this," the IRCS said in a statement on April 7.

"Some institutions and countries have expressed their readiness to donate and also declared certain sums of money; but as a result of the inhuman US sanctions, there is no way to send this cash assistance" to Iran, the statement added.

The IRCS emphasized in another part of its statement that despite US officials' claims, Washington's sanctions have caused difficulties in the way of helping people affected by flooding and influenced logistical capacities, particularly air relief.

The IRCS has not been able to buy new aid helicopters due to the unilateral sanctions imposed by the US and is also facing difficulties for buying spare parts to maintain its existing aid helicopter fleet, the statement added.

Official accounts are confirming that so far 76 lives have been claimed by the recent floods in Iran, while hundreds of thousands have been left homeless.
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