iranian red crescent

TEHRAN, Nov. 18 (IRCS) _ Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Gilles Carbonnier met with Secretary General of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) Mahmoud Mohammadi Nasab in Tehran on Saturday, November 17, discussing cooperation in the region and other parts of the world where ICRC needs assistance.

IRCS and ICRC have been implementing mutual projects in such fields as restoring family links, educations related mine risks, refugees, migrants, moot court competition, dissemination of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and health care in dangers (HCID).

Referring to IRCS director's study visit to ICRC and International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) headquarters in Geneva, IRCS Secretary General emphasized that the Society is interested in having close and deeper cooperation with the ICRC.

“We interest to participate in all discussions and meeting of ICRC with the government in order to support ICRC presence in Iran and act as a tripartite cooperation,” he said.

“One of the issues that the Committee is heavily involved with is the human tragedy which is occurring in Yemen. In addition to genocide, 15 million people are at risk of starvation and we are ready in line with the Committee and under its flag to play a significant role on rendering relief to Yemeni people,” remarked Mohammadi Nasab. “IRCS volunteers and professional relief workers are ready to render services to the victims of Yemen.”

He also brought a question: “Why ICRC could not utilize all earmarked budget for Yemeni people and USD 30,000,000 was returned to the ICRC.”

ICRC Vice-President noted that besides the political aspect, the most important thing is to provide a safe situation for the volunteers in Yemen.

He also lauded IRCS remarkable capacities in the fields of disaster preparedness and responses as well as humanitarian activities such as medical services to some countries in the Middle East, Africa and South America.

Moreover, Gilles Carbonnier promised that ICRC would hand over a part of Iran-Iraq war archive documentation to the Iranian Red Crescent and follow the issue of the Iranians Prisoners in Asian country of Thailand.

“ICRC knows IRCS has very professional and experienced volunteers as well as staff, and we would like to use this potentiality as staff on loan in the region and headquarters.”

Furthermore, during the meeting it was brought that IRCS is welcoming the relief, research and training grants that ICRC is providing for National Societies to be spent in deprived regions, such as Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan which are suffering from drought.

IRCS Secretary General also referred to IRCS huge services to walkers in Arbaeen ceremony.

ICRC Vice-President will travel to Mashhad after Tehran to visit a humanitarian joint project on those who live in outskirts.