TEHRAN – Vincent Cassard, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Tehran, has expressed gratitude to the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) for providing humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

IRCS cooperation in providing aid to Gaza is valuable and we are thankful to Iran for its assistance in this regard, he said, the IRCS website reported.

He made the remarks in a meeting with Pir-hossein Kolivand, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, on November 28.

The officials also discussed partnership and joint efforts in assisting the people of Gaza.

“We are interested in cooperating with the Iranian Red Crescent Society to implement various joint missions in different fields including education, refugees, and immigration. The Iranian Red Crescent Society holds enormous potential that paves the way for expanding cooperation," Cassard said.

Moreover, Cassard expressed gratitude to the IRCS for their collaboration in areas such as mine clearance in the regions affected by the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.

Kolivand, for his part, praised the president of ICRC for not withdrawing Red Cross personnel from Gaza.

 “This decision was a humanitarian one demonstrating the preservation of the Red Cross's identity. Despite being targeted by rocket fire, the Red Cross persevered and continued assisting the people of Gaza,” he added.

No government is allowed to target rescue workers or expel Red Cross troops. If the Red Crescent Society and the Red Cross are not defended today, more aid workers will be killed in the future. These crimes will be recorded in history and we will all be judged, Kolivand explained.

We must document human rights violations by the Zionist regime and declare crimes against the regime in international courts.

Currently, providing aid to Gaza is our priority. Unfortunately, some have dual opinions or are affected by political issues, whereas the true priority should be assisting the vulnerable children and women in Gaza,” Kolivand expressed.

He went on to say that substantial humanitarian aid consisting of medicines, food, and tents, weighing 10,000 tons, has been provided by the Iranians and is ready to be dispatched to Gaza.  

He also expressed willingness to collaborate with the Red Cross in all areas and share its scientific knowledge with other Red Crescent societies.

The ICRC initiated its operations in Iran in 1977. Throughout the Iran-Iraq war, their efforts primarily centered on visiting war prisoners, delivering assistance to prisoners and refugees, conveying the Red Cross messages, and acting as a neutral intermediary to repatriate sick and injured prisoners.

During the period of 2001 to 2010, the IRCS established offices in Mashhad, Urmia, and Kermanshah in order to provide assistance with their logistical operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Currently, the ICRC is engaged in its operations within the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Iran helps Gaza in ‘any possible way’

On November 28, the IRCS corresponded with the International Committee of the Red Cross as well as the red crescent societies of Egypt, Russia, Iraq, and Jordan to assist people in Gaza in any possible way.

In the 158th session of the Supreme Council of the Red Crescent Society, Kolivand elaborated on the activities of the IRCS in supporting the oppressed people of Gaza, IRNA reported.

He added the IRCS has conducted national and international follow-ups since the very beginning of the conflict in Gaza.

Kolivand went on to say that a video conference meeting was also held with 86 national societies and the violation of humanitarian laws was explained in the meeting. Finally, it was decided to declare the Zionist regime criminal for violating human rights in Gaza through international forums.

There are some reports confirming that Israeli authorities have asked Egyptian officials to refuse the 60 tons of humanitarian assistance that Iran had delivered to the Northeast African country to be sent to the beleaguered Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing.

On November 12, Bashir Haji-Beigi, a spokesman for the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization, said, "In cooperation with the Red Crescent Society, we are ready to set up a blood transfusion center equipped with laboratories and storage units in Palestine."

Some 730 billion rials (around $1.5 million) in humanitarian aid was collected from October 9 until November 8 for people in Gaza through a campaign launched by the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

The campaign aimed to raise funds to help the oppressed people of Gaza is still ongoing, ISNA quoted Vahid Salimi, an official with the IRCS, as saying on November 8.

He went on to say, “From the beginning of the official call for the campaign, more than 730 billion rials (almost $1.5 m) have been deposited by people into the official accounts of the Red Crescent Society.”

“Simultaneously, in addition to air cargo, a ship carrying humanitarian aid has been sent to Gaza with the cooperation of the Red Crescent Society of Hormozgan province from Shahid Rajaei port. Other shipments are being loaded in this port,” he added.

On November 7, Iran expressed readiness to provide the people of Gaza with humanitarian aid via Egypt amid a massive humanitarian crisis caused by the Israeli war against the Palestinian enclave. 

The announcement was made in a phone conversation between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry.

MT/MG