TEHRAN – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has provided 250,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for Afghan migrants in the eastern provinces of the country.

Up to 125,000 Afghan migrants and host community members in Iran will receive two doses for a total of 250,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine in eastern provinces of the country as part of the partnership of the ICRC and the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS).

Iran has been one of the countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 6 million reported cases of infection and 129,000 deaths till November 2021. The country hosts about 3.6 million displaced Afghan migrants.

In the last months, Iran has managed to step up its vaccination campaign with around 53 percent of the eligible population now fully vaccinated. In order to maximize the safety of the whole community, it is crucial that migrants present in Iran – regardless of their legal immigration status – are also included in the national COVID-19 vaccination plan.

Iran hosts about 3.6 million displaced Afghan migrants. Johannes Bruwer, the head of the ICRC delegation in Iran, said, “Equitable access to the vaccine is vital in the efforts to resolve the COVID-19 pandemic. The involvement of the IRCS in this process is particularly pertinent, as a successful campaign requires community-level delivery and social mobilization to ensure community buy-in and acceptance.

The Iranian health authorities and the IRCS are making massive strides on the national vaccination plan, and we are happy to be able to support this effort.”

Mansoureh Bagheri, the under-secretary-general for international affairs and international humanitarian law, pointed out that “This is a very welcome donation from our long-standing partner the ICRC on such an important humanitarian issue.

The purchased vaccines as the result of this donation will be used to vaccinate 125,000 individuals, both migrants and members of host communities, in the four eastern provinces of Khorasan Razavi, South Khorasan, Sistan-Baluchestan, and Kerman.”

The IRCS is a member of the National COVID-19 Task Force in Iran and has been actively supporting the Ministry of Health endeavors in countering the pandemic in the country through various activities including prevention, screening, treatment, and vaccination.

The ICRC works with organizations and authorities across Iran to provide humanitarian assistance and support for those in need, including migrants.

In December 2020, Daniel Munoz-Rojas, the deputy representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Tehran, said he was impressed by the domestic manufacturing of oxygen concentrators for COVID-19 patients in Iran.

Also in May 2020, Barbara Rizzoli, head of the ICRC delegation in Tehran, said the actions taken by the Iranian Red Crescent Society to battle the COVID-19 outbreak were very significant in various fields, including prevention and treatment.

Moreover, in June, the Iranian Red Crescent Society asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide 2 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to be used for Afghan refugees.

FB/MG