REPORT SAYS IRAN FACING DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES FROM WORST DROUGHT IN OVER 30 YEARS
Press Release
IHA/717
REPORT SAYS IRAN FACING DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES FROM WORST DROUGHT IN OVER 30 YEARS
20000822Drought Affects 37 Million People
TEHRAN-GENEVA-NEW YORK, 22 August (UN Information Service) -- The findings of a technical mission that assessed the devastating consequences of the drought situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran was made public in Tehran today by the United Nations.
This is the worst drought since 1964 -- the United Nations experts said in their report -- and it affects some 37 million people (over 50 per cent of Iran s total population). Living conditions are worsening day after day and resources such as water and sanitation, livestock, crops, forests and woodland are under severe strain. It is predicted that the situation will worsen by early 2001; an estimated 800,000 animals have died already of malnutrition and disease. With the acute water shortage, over 60 per cent of the rural population may be forced to migrate to cities.
The drought extends to over 18 of the countrys 28 provinces, mostly in southern, eastern and central Iran. Sistan Balouchestan and Khorassan are the worst-hit provinces, where the majority of the 1.4 million Afghan refugees are concentrated.
The United Nations Technical Assessment Team (comprising experts from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)) was deployed, from 22 July to 8 August, in order to address short-term needs and to establish a long-term intervention strategy for the mitigation of future drought impacts in the region.
According to the report, the greatest need of the people in the affected provinces is for drinking water. The magnitude of the water crisis is such that urgent donor response in support of the Governments efforts is required. The second greatest need of the drought-affected population is for livestock and agriculture support.
For further information please contact: Donato Kiniger-Passigli, OCHA Geneva, tel.: 9172653 or Rosa Malango, OCHA New York, tel.: 9632380. The full report can be viewed on
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