Attachments
he major donors and partners of the Emergency Appeal include the Italian Red Cross, Japanese Red Cross, Red Cross of Monaco, and the Netherlands Red Cross, all of whom contributed online to the project. On behalf of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), the IFRC would like to extend thanks to all for their generous contributions.
Despite the significant need, the appeal had experienced severe underfunding, reaching only about 9% of the required coverage. Further funding contributions were needed to enable the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) to continue with the preparedness efforts and provide humanitarian assistance and protection to the drought-affected people in the target provinces. The appeal initially allocated CHF 438,000. Overall, CHF 805,558 was the total funding under the MDRIR009 which covered only provision of food packages, WASH interventions, Health services, MHPSS trainings and logistics and support activities, the details of which provided under the detailed operational report.
Description of the crisis
In 2022, Iran had a per capita renewable water resource of 1,558.7 cubic meters per year. This represents a slight decrease from the 1,570.0 cubic meters per year in 2020. While 94.22% of the population had access to safely managed drinking water services in 2022, Iran is still facing significant water scarcity. (Water Resources and Quality in Iran). According to the director for drought and crisis management department of Iran’s Meteorological Organization, 96% of Iran experiences a prolonged drought. (Tehran Times; Jan 8, 2018 - 9:1). No one can ignore the effects of climate change on the reduction of average rainfall which consequently lead to drought, however, there are some other some other culprits in Iran as well such as shortsighted water management policies and unsustainable agricultural practices which exacerbate water shortage in the country.
The most dramatic proof of the devastating and prolonged drying of the past thirty years is the disappearance of lakes and wetlands mostly in the eastern parts of Iran. Excessive stress on water resources across the country, notably in the borderlands of the east and west, is becoming more pronounced and impossible to ignore. Safe and sufficient water supply for drinking, hygiene and health, agriculture, animal husbandry, and electrical power is under threat; while food insecurity and a breakdown in societal cohesion are highly likely to follow if increased strains on households and communities are not addressed. Current drought conditions are primarily human-induced, both locally and as a symptom of global climate change; caused, or intensified, by unsustainable land and water management domestically and in neighboring countries. Vast expanses of central and western Asia, including the majority of Iran within its mountain ranges, have been affected by drought conditions with degrees of severity and local magnitude that have varied throughout history. What brings the current situation into sharp humanitarian focus is the confluence of declining precipitation over the last 30 years, inadequate infrastructure projects, and the economic-political hit to the country, and thus its National Society, given the impacts of the renewed sanctions on the country, where all the while, some 3.5 million refugees are being hosted from war-torn lands.