UNITED NATIONS LAUNCHES APPEAL FOR IRAN EARTHQUAKE

UNITED NATIONS LAUNCHES APPEAL FOR IRAN EARTHQUAKE

NEW YORK, 8 January (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- Today in Bam, Iran, the United Nations launched a flash appeal for $31.3 million to meet the needs of people affected by the powerful earthquake that hit the city on 26 December.  The quake killed more than 30,000 people and injured another 30,000, out of a total population of 115,000 in the most affected area.  After visiting Bam to get a first-hand look at the devastation, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland, launched the appeal on behalf of the United Nations.  The United Nations Appeal was launched at the same time as a similar appeal by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, ensuring complementarity of the two organization’s efforts.

At the launch, Mr. Egeland praised the swift response of the Iranian Government and the Iranian Red Crescent Society to the needs created by the earthquake and praised “the impressive international solidarity that had been displayed in the immediate aftermath of the disaster”.  More than 44 countries sent emergency teams to assist in rescue and relief.  Another 60 have pledged cash or in kind assistance.

With the search-and-rescue phase ending, the appeal seeks funding to address the relief, recovery and immediate rehabilitation requirements in the region for the next 90 days.  The appeal will also help accelerate planning for and implementation of reconstruction to ensure rapid and sustainable recovery.  The restoration of the cultural heritage of Bam and the identification of effective measures to reduce the impact of future earthquakes will be critical.

The largest of the appeal’s nine sectors is health and nutrition, which seeks some $6.4 million.  These include preventing communicable diseases and supporting Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education.  All three of Bam’s major hospitals were damaged or destroyed.  There are currently no health care services apart from those being delivered by emergency agencies.  The appeal also calls for nearly $6 million for programmes to accelerate the area’s economic recovery and to rehabilitate infrastructure.  These include programmes to revitalize agricultural production, the chief source of livelihoods in the area.

United Nations agencies seek $5.7 million to restore water and sanitation services, including providing latrines and supporting the rehabilitation of wells.  The appeal outlines programmes totalling $4 million for immediate needs in education, as all schools have been damaged or destroyed.  Another $3.7 million are sought for protection programmes, including providing mental health care to address the trauma suffered by the area’s children.

An estimated 85 per cent of buildings in Bam were destroyed by the earthquake, leaving some 75,000 people homeless.  The United Nations flash appeal seeks $2.6 million for programmes to remove 12 million tons of rubble, provide temporary shelter for newly homeless families and prepare for the reconstruction of disaster-resistant buildings.  As Bam is an important historical site, the appeal also requests funding for assessing damage to and safeguarding this world heritage site.

After launching the appeal, Mr. Egeland travelled to Tehran, where he delivered a letter from the Secretary-General to President Khatami that pledges United Nations support.

For further information, please call:  Stephanie Bunker, OCHA New York, tel.: (917) 367-5126, mobile: (917) 892-1679; or Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, tel.: 41 22 917 2653, mobile: 41(0) 79 472 4570.

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