TEHRAN – Iran Red Crescent Society (IRCS) volunteer organization started on Saturday distributing some 10,000 packages of essential household appliances to the flood-hit families, head of IRCS, Ali Asghar Peyvandi, has said.

After flood hit many provinces in the country, people joined hands and donated over 2 trillion rials (nearly $47 million), which was a record high in donations, to those residing in flood-ravaged areas, ISNA quoted Peyvandi as saying.

“Some 10,000 packages worth 550 billion rials (nearly $13,000) have been provided, which are consisted of essential items including, refrigerators, ovens, blankets and carpets,” he noted.

He also said that 80 percent of these items will be distributed among the households in five provinces of Lorestan, Golestan, Mazandaran, Khuzestan and Ilam, and the rest will be dispatched to other flood-hit provinces.

“Given that the items are essential appliances, they are distributed among the families whose homes are retrofitted or reconstructed,” he said, adding, “We have taken measures to provide others who have not yet received any packages with the appliances.”

He further expressed appreciation toward the benefactors and said that people are still continuing their cash and kind donations.
Referring to the rest of the donations amounting to 1.5 trillion rials (around $37 million), he noted, “We tend to purchase more household appliances out of the donations.”

The whole 10,000 packages are scheduled to be distributed during 20 days, he concluded.

Torrential rain started on March 19 led to flood in at least 25 out of 31 provinces of Iran and caused extensive damage to the houses, schools, urban and rural infrastructure, crops and livestock. Provinces of Lorestan, Golestan, and Khuzestan are hit the hardest with the flooding.

Mohammad Mokhber, director for Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam also known as Setad-e Ejraiy-e Farman-e Hazrat-e Emam, has said that some 18,000 packages consisting of household appliances will be handed over to families affected by the flood.

He went on to add that some 1,000 packages of home appliances have been granted to victims of the flood in Shiraz, southern province of Fars.

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