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Iran: Floods in Central/Southern area - Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA), DREF Operation no. MDRIR011

Countries
Iran
Sources
IFRC
Publication date
Origin
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Glide n°: FF-2022-000274-IRN

A. Situation analysis

Description of the disaster

According to the Iranian Meteorological Organization, monsoon flash floods with thunderstorms started on 23 July 2022 in 25 Iranian provinces and lasted till 30th of July. Over 72,000 people were affected in 25 provinces East Azarbaijan, Isfahan, Alborz, Bushehr, Tehran, Charmahal Bakhtiyari, South Khorasan, Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan, Khuzestan, Zanjan, Semnan, Sistan-Baluchistan, Fars, Qazvin, Qom, Kerman, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Golestan, Lorestan, Mazandaran, Markazi, Hormozgan, Hamedan, Yazd. The floods resulted in tremendous damages to agricultural lands, roads/access/infrastructure, bridges, domestic animal husbandry, residential buildings, and drinking water supply facilities.

The heavy flash flood resulted in the death of 90 people (including 41 in Tehran, 1 in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, 10 in Khorasan Razavi, 5 in Sistan and Baluchestan, 1 in Khuzestan, 2 in Semnan, 3 in Fars, 4 in Kerman, 4 in Lorestan 5 in Yaz, 3 in Markazi and 11 in Mazandaran) and 8 people still missing. As a result of the floods, transportation has been halted, and relief supplies have been delivered to flood-affected cities by IRCS air rescue choppers. So far, 3,327 affected people were evacuated to safe areas by IRCS rescue teams. Outpatient services were provided to injured people, and 16 persons were transported to medical centres. In addition to rescue and relief efforts, aid workers pumped water out of 2,169 houses and recovered 654 vehicles.

Summary of the current response

Overview of Operating National Society Response Action

The IRCS was established in 1922 (as the ‘Red Lion and Sun Society’) and became affiliated with the IFRC in 1924. It has over 8,500 staff and some 1.5 million volunteers, being active through the Youth Organization, the Volunteers Organization, and the Relief & Rescue Organization. IRCS has 500 local branches across the country. The National Society has a strong auxiliary link to Government. It is mandated, under the Law on Crisis Management, to conduct search & rescue activities, relief services and to provide emergency shelter. In addition, the IRCS is responsible for raising public awareness on disasters preparedness, including the provision of related educational activities.

Since the onset of the floods, the IRCS Relief and Rescue Organization Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been activated to manage and coordinate the response operations at the Headquarters (HQ) level with the field support of provincial EOCs in the affected provinces, which are operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

IRCS senior management along with senior officials from the government had a field visit in the affected areas to assess the situation and speed up the response operation. So far, the IRCS has reached out to 72,000 flood- affected people in 25 provinces (167 counties, 135 cities, and 1407 villages) and provided emergency shelter to 9,416 people. Relief supplies, including emergency shelter, food, blankets and ground mats, plastic sheets, heaters, and mineral water, were delivered to affected areas. The distributed relief and essential household items are shown in the table below:

The IRCS rescues choppers have completed several flight trips in all 25 provinces, transferring 3,327 people to safe areas, as well as transporting the relief commodities and 6,213 rescuers in 1,393 teams. The evacuation is still ongoing. People who are unable to return to their homes are being accommodated in the emergency camps set up by IRCS.

According to data received to date in total 25 provinces, 72,000 people got assistance from IRCS but worst affected 8 provinces data is shared as follows: 3,846 people in Tehran province, 9,466 in Sistan and Baluchestan, 7,619 people in Kerman province, 3,049 people in Hormozgan, and 10,549 people in Fars, 710 people in Qom, 2,039 people in Yazd, and 6,231 people in Mazandaran province.

In total, the IRCS has also deployed 629 relief and rescue teams, including 6,213 aid-workers, 1,024 relief and rescue vehicles, and 6 helicopters to assist with the disaster response. To combat inundations in flood-affected areas, 120 water sludging pumps were installed, and floodwater was pumped out of 2,169 residential units.

Moreover, immediately after receiving the red level warning from the National Meteorological Organization, the following measures taken by the IRCS as well to expediate and speed up the operation response assisting flood affected population in the provinces across the country:

  • Orange status announcement (preparedness) in the provinces exposed to danger and with a forecast and red alert status issued by the National Meteorological Organization and yellow status announcement to all auxiliary neighbouring provinces and the headquarters of the Rescue and Rescue Organization (RARO), as well as to the central and northern provinces across the country based on the orange level warning of the NMO regarding torrential rain and strong wind.

  • Preparedness Announcement to air relief and rescue centres across the country and deploying rescue helicopters in the provinces at high risk

  • Information exchange with the forecasting and warning department of the NMO

  • Holding video conference meetings with affected provinces and those exposed to the disaster.

  • Strengthening the relief warehouses of shelter, biological and food equipment.

  • Contingency planning for emergency sheltering based on the past recent experiences

  • Forecasting mitigation measures for the vulnerabilities to speed up rescue operations learned from the past experiences

  • Receiving the latest weather status from the affected provinces (according to the red warning of the Meteorological Organization).