US blocking humanitarian measures toward Iran’s flood victims

Mehr News Agency – Iran has strongly slammed the US’ restrictive measures that are troubling the relief efforts targeting flood-stricken people across the country.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said on Monday the US has banned the financial accounts of Iran Red Crescent, saying that such measure has troubled the relief efforts targeting the victims of the recent water torrents across the country. “Since all the accounts of Iran Red Crescent have been frozen [by US sanctions], no one can send their financial aid from overseas,” Ghasemi added.

Noting that even in the most extreme cases, some banking systems remain unblocked so that the humanitarian aid can be provided to people through institutions such as the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, the official said the United States, in an inhuman and outrageous approach, has blocked the channels that could provide help to the flood-stricken people.

Earlier today, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif slammed the Trump administration for freezing the financial channels, saying that the US is waging “economic terrorism” against the Islamic Republic by impeding humanitarian measures targeting the victims of the natural disasters.

Unprecedented heavy rains have caused floods in various parts of Iran over the past two weeks. Scores of people were killed and injured and a large number were displaced across Iran. According to Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, devastating floods have hit 400 villages and cities in 15 provinces across the country.

So far, 78 roads linking cities and 2,199 roads connecting villages have been blocked by the floods, the minister said, adding that some 84 bridges are destructed in the flood-stricken areas. He added that 141 rivers have burst their banks and some 409 landslides have been reported in the country.