TEHRAN – In a ceremony held on Sunday to mark Human Rights Day, some five thousand saplings started to be planted in Tehran’s Saadat-Abad Forest Park in memory of innocent children and women killed in Gaza.

Ensieh Khazali, the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, and Naser Abu-sharif, the representative of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement in Tehran, attended the ceremony, IRNA reported.

Moreover, 313 olive saplings with identification cards named after Iranian and Palestinian women and children martyred were planted.

The plan is in line with the policy of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that every Iranian should plant three saplings, and also plant one billion saplings across the country to combat desertification.

It is carried out both at national and international levels. Students in schools all over the country and representatives of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization in other countries are contributing to planting the seedlings.

"Some Arab countries have announced that they also started planting saplings in memory of the martyrs of Gaza in line with Iran's initiative,” Khazali said.

Abu-sharif, for his part, said, “On Human Rights Day, we are witnessing war crimes in Gaza and the violation of human rights.

We are witnessing genocide and crimes against humanity due to a moral collapse. They have killed many journalists, doctors, and humanitarians. They have destroyed the entire environment of Gaza and life elements in Gaza.”

Plan to plant 1 billion trees

On December 2, a national plan with the aim of planting up to one billion trees across the country to combat desertification and restore forests commenced.

The plan is going to be carried out over the course of four years. So, planting some 250 million seedlings is targeted in the first year of the plan, IRIB reported.

Preventing the destruction of pastures by cultivating drought-resistant plants is one of the priorities of the Forests, Rangelands, and Watershed Management Organization (FRWMO).

“The implementation of this plan is divided into three parts. Government organizations, industries, and public institutions will be each responsible for one part of the plan,” Abbas-Ali Nobakht, head of the FRWMO, said.

In July, the FRWMO planned to produce and plant one billion saplings across the country over four years.

The Organization is determined to produce and plant one billion saplings with the participation of people benefiting from capacities that exist in the country, Nobakht said.

“Considering the climatic conditions of the country, low per capita green space, and the fact that Iran is among the countries with low forestation rate, we are obliged to produce and plant one billion saplings in four years.”

Iran ready to help Gaza

The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has 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, Pir-hossein Kolivand, the head of the IRCS, 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.

MT/MG