TEHRAN –The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has expressed its readiness to dispatch relief teams and humanitarian aid to assist Indonesians affected by floods.
Persistent heavy rains between November 22 and 25 triggered severe floods and landslides in Aceh, West Sumatra, and North Sumatra, displacing thousands of people. Priority relief efforts focus on search and rescue operations, meeting the basic needs of displaced people, restoring access to isolated areas, and accelerating relief distribution by land and air.
According to NAMPA, ruinous floods and landslides have killed more than 900 people on Indonesia’s island of Sumatra, the country’s disaster management agency said Saturday in an updated toll. The latest update put the death toll at 908, with 410 people still reported missing.
The head of the IRCS, Pirhossein Kolivand, in a letter to the Chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross Society, Jusuf Kalla, announced the society’s readiness to provide relief assistance to Indonesia.
The full message reads as follows:
“The Iranian Red Crescent Society extends its respectful greetings to you, your colleagues, and the dedicated volunteers of the Indonesian Red Cross Society.
With great sorrow, we have learned of the severe flooding and landslides in Indonesia, which have unfortunately resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives, the disappearance of many people, and extensive damage to homes, infrastructure, and transportation routes in various parts of the country. We are deeply affected and saddened by this tragic disaster and the suffering it has brought upon the people of Indonesia.
The Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran stands with you in these difficult moments and, while expressing its sincere sympathy to Your Excellency and the Indonesian Red Cross Society, as well as its condolences to the bereaved families and those affected by this tragic disaster, hereby declares its readiness to dispatch relief teams.
We sincerely wish you and your colleagues continued strength, health, and success in your noble humanitarian efforts.”
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), catastrophic flooding and landslides, driven by intensifying cyclones and seasonal monsoons, are devastating communities across South and Southeast Asia. Since November 17, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia have been among the hardest hit, facing record-breaking rainfall, storm surges, and widespread inundation.
IRCS a key humanitarian actor
In November, Hossam Elsharkawi, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), highlighted the role of the IRCS as one of the region’s and the world’s key humanitarian actors.
Lauding the IRCS efforts, Elsharkawi congratulated Pirhossein Kolivand’s re-election as the head of the IRCS, saying that the IRCS decisions are highly effective at international levels, IRNA reported.
The official made the remarks in an online meeting with Kolivand on Thursday. During the meeting, the two officials discussed ways to foster collaborative efforts, develop rescue systems to enhance the country’s preparedness and response capabilities, and conduct international meetings and conferences in Iran.
MT/ MG
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