The Iranian Red Crescent Society has hosted an international conference aimed at supporting Gazans.
IRNA says the event, dubbed “International Humanitarian Conference to Support Palestine (Gaza)”, took place at Tehran’s Azadi Parsian Hotel on January 21 and it brought together representatives from the Red Crescent Societies of Turkiye, Qatar, Libya, Afghanistan, South Africa, and Tajikistan. Delegates from Islamic Committee of the International Crescent (ICIC), a relief institution affiliated to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), were reportedly also in attendance.
Iran reportedly proposes to establish a joint monetary fund to help Gazans. The proposal was put forward by Head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society Hossein Koulivand who addressed the conference
He reportedly urged that such a fund is needed in the wake of ineffectiveness of international bodies to send aid to Gaza.
As part of other measures to support Gazans, the Iranian official proposed using what he called humanitarian diplomacy aimed at bringing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and presenting international courts with evidence on the regime’s crimes.
Mehr News Agency (MNA) reported on January 23 that Head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) Hossein Koulivand has urged the International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC) to commit to its duties to help Gaza.
Speaking at a meeting with Manuel Bessler, the Vice President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Koulivand on January 22 criticized the failure to send enough humanitarian shipments to Gaza after 100 days of war in the enclave.
The Iranian official said that the International Humanitarian Conference to Support Palestine (Gaza) which was held in Tehran on January 21 was a successful initiative.
Citing the Gaza Health Ministry, the Associated Press (AP) reported on January 21 that since the war started, 25,105 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, while another 62,681 have been wounded.
The Health Ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures but says about two-thirds of the people killed in Gaza were women and minors. AP notes that the ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, but its casualty figures from previous wars were largely consistent with those of U.N. agencies and even the Israeli military.
Tajikistan’s Red Crescent Society reported on January 23 that the Society Secretary-General Bahodour Qurboniyon, heading the Society delegation, paid a working visit to Iran from January 18 to January 22 at the invitation of Iran’s Red Crescent Society to discuss cooperation issues and participate in the international humanitarian conference in Tehran on January 21.
On the sidelines of the conference, Qurboniyon reportedly held talks with Mr. Hossein Koulivand, Head of Iran’s Red Crescent Society.
According to Tajikistan’s Red Crescent Society, the two discussed related to state and prospects of further expansion of the bilateral cooperation and establishing a joint polyclinic in Tajikistan. The meeting ended with signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
While in Tehran, the delegation of Tajikistan’s Red Crescent Society also held talks with Dr. Yaghoub Soleimani, Secretary-General of the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and senior representatives of Iran Red Crescent Society’s departments for emergency situation, health and social care and international cooperation, the press center of Tajikistan’s Red Crescent Society noted.
Source: Asia Plus