TEHRAN – A bill on the structure and duties of the Social Emergency Organization has been drafted to reduce social harm in informal settlements and suburban areas, Vahid Qobadi-Dana, head of the Welfare Organization, said on Sunday.

The social emergency management system is also ready to be unveiled, which will provide accurate statistics and proper planning in the field of social emergency, he added, IRNA reported.

“Some 360 centers providing emergency social services are operating across the country, which has reduced social harms to a great extent.”

As per the Sixth Five-Year National Development Plan (2016-2021), emergency social services centers were planned to be set up in the cities having over 50,000 residents in the first year of the plan, and in the second year, these centers have been launched in the cities requiring social interventions and reduced social harms.

These centers are working in order to control and reduce divorce, child and elderly abuse and protect the deprived, he said, adding that there are 3,500 emergency social services forces including psychologists, social workers, and sociologists.

In [the Iranian calendar year] 1398 (March 2019-March 2020), the social emergency provided services to 1.1 million people, and in the first nine months of the current [Iranian calendar] year, it provided services to over 900,000 people.

The social emergency must be considered to enforce the Child and Adolescent Protection Act, and the establishment of a police force for children has been on agenda, he concluded.

These centers will be set up on the outskirts of the cities and areas where the residents are suffering social marginalization. People can call hotline 123 to report any social harms they witness including child abuse, suicidal behaviors, street children, and family violence.

Experts at centers for emergency social services offer phone consultations and attend the scene of violence and abuse in emergency cases.

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