TEHRAN – A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) and the World Food Program (WFP) to expand cooperation on responding to natural disasters.

During a joint meeting held on Tuesday in Tehran, Mansoureh Bagheri, deputy head of IRCS for international affairs and humanitarian law, and Negar Gerami, WFP representative to Iran, inked the MOU on disaster response, which was initiated in 2002 to respond to the Qazvin earthquake.

The MOU is divided into sections on coordination, emergency planning, information sharing, coordination of crisis response operations, customs clearance, food aid, information, and communication technology, and logistics, Bagheri told IRNA.

Iran among countries most prone to natural disasters

Having tackled over 34 out of 41 natural disasters identified worldwide, Iran is among the top countries most prone to natural disasters. 

In Iran, the occurrences of natural disasters have increased sharply, causing damage and loss to infrastructures and the economy, while claiming the lives of many people. 

Over the past few years, a series of widespread disasters hit several parts of the country, which challenged risk reduction and management. 

Floods, destructive earthquakes, and severe sand and dust storms frequently hit the southern provinces are some of the major catastrophic disasters over the past decade, which caused devastating and long-term impacts.

In addition to floods, droughts, earthquakes, land subsidence, and extreme temperatures, Iran is currently facing a wet spell while dealing with an outbreak of locust swarms that are threatening farmlands.

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