TEHRAN — Repair to the flood-hit houses will be finished by the end of the spring, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said on Thursday.

Rahmani Fazli made the remarks over a session held at the ministry focusing on post-flood reconstruction and repair in flood-stricken regions of the country, Mehr news agency reported.

“Construction materials are being purchased and we hope to be able to finish the repairs to the flood-hit houses within the aforesaid period,” he highlighted.

In addition to the government other organizations such as Basij [affiliated to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps], Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation, as well as Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam are collaborating in reconstruction of the houses, he added.

The minister went on to say that home appliances are also being distributed among the flood victims.

Moreover, he said, houses which are totally destructed will be reconstructed by the end of the current year (March 19, 2020).

Deputy Interior Minister Mahdi Jamali Nejad, for his part explained that Budget and Planning Organization has allocated some 70 trillion rials (nearly $1.7 billion) to reconstruction of the flood-stricken areas.

Ismail Najjar, head of National Disaster Management Organization, also said that more than 169,000 housing units in 21 provinces are damaged by the floods which must be either repaired, rebuilt, or retrofitted.

Flood victims will be also provided with allowances to pay for their rents while their house are being reconstructed, Najjar concluded.

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

MQ/MG