Emergency food assistance for thousands of flood-affected families in Iran

Iran has been lashed by torrential rain which has caused massive flooding in most of Iran’s 31 provinces, killing more than 75 people and displacing thousands. The flooding has most severely affected Golestan, Fars, Khuzestan, Lorestan, and Ilam, resulting in states of emergency being declared in those provinces.

“WFP is concerned about the most severely affected communities whose ability to access food has been severely hindered,” said WFP’s Representative in Iran Negar Gerami. “WFP in coordination with government authorities and the Iranian Red Crescent Society will distribute 10,000 emergency family food rations to the most affected communities in Khuzestan province during the holy month of Ramadan.”

The ration packs contain a variety of food items purchased locally in Iran, including rice, canned pinto beans, canned tuna, lentils, sugar, vegetable oil, tea and salt.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society has been providing food assistance including ready-to-eat meals and family packages to affected populations since the start of the flooding. But with the rains continuing, the five worst-hit provinces in western Iran remain in a state of emergency, requiring further support from the government and WFP.

WFP has been operating in Iran for over 30 years, providing food assistance to vulnerable Afghan and Iraqi refugee communities as well as responding to emergencies such as earthquakes and floods.

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The United Nations World Food Programme - saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future.

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