TEHRAN – The medical sector is fully ready to vaccinate foreign nationals and there are no restrictions in this regard, Peyman Namdar, an official with the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), has said.

The highest number of foreign nationals live in the provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan, South Khorasan, Kerman, and Khorasan Razavi, and the Red Crescent Society has taken good measures in these areas since the beginning of the general vaccination plan.

According to the announcement of the Ministry of Health with the cooperation of the IRCS, there are no restrictions on vaccination of foreign nationals and they can receive the second and third doses, IRNA reported on Saturday.

Many foreign nationals residing in Iran have received the second and third doses of the coronavirus vaccine, and the screening at the borders is being carried out seriously, and infected passengers will be quarantined immediately, he explained.

“The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has promised to cooperate in the fight against the pandemic by providing the necessary resources for the vaccination of foreign nationals in Iran.

The cost of vaccinating foreign nationals will be covered by the ICRC, which has provided through a budget to the Red Crescent Society,” he added.

Based on the latest statistics, over 3 million Afghans are living in Iran - some 780,000 Afghan refugees, over 2 million undocumented Afghans, and another 600,000 Afghan passport-holders with Iranian visas.

However, in light of the pandemic, all refugees, even those undocumented, benefited from access to free primary health services and free COVID-19 related testing, treatment, and hospitalization, just like Iranian nationals.

The same happened for the vaccination when the country has generously considered refugees for vaccination against coronavirus.

The recent fast-paced turn of events in Afghanistan has the potential to create additional population movements; displacing families internally and potentially driving them to seek refuge in neighboring countries.

It is estimated that up to 300,000 Afghan asylum-seekers have fled to Iran this year alone in search of safety, while UNHCR has only been able to screen some 24,000 newly arrived Afghans for protection needs.

António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has praised Iran’s generosity which – for decades – has hosted millions of Afghans in need.

“At this moment, we need the global community to put their hands on the wheel of progress, provide resources, and prevent Afghanistan from spiraling any further.

I will never forget the generosity of countries like Pakistan and Iran, which – for decades – have hosted millions of Afghans in need,” Guterres said in a statement released on January 26 to the Security Council on Afghanistan.

FB/MG