Iranian people have been grappling with various natural disasters for the past two weeks. It first started with the Coronavirus outbreak, which quickly spread due to the regime’s deliberate secrecy; then came the 5.7 magnitude earthquake in northwest Iran, and floods. Yet reports from Iran indicate the regime has not taken any action.
Coronavirus outbreak
Since the coronavirus outbreak in Iran, the regime has been trying to either downplay the crisis or cover up its dimensions. On Monday, Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, member of the regime’s parliament from the city of Qom, where coronavirus was first detected, revealed that 50 people in Qom had died within the past two weeks due to the COVID-19 virus. Yet, instead of taking necessary actions, on the same day, Ali Rabiei, spokesperson for the government of Hassan Rouhani, and deputy health minister Iraj Harirchi held a joint press conference in which they tried to downplay the crisis. “I deny the claim,” Harirchi said when questioned about the 50 deaths in Qom. “According to the directives of the government and the [Supreme National] Security Council, no one else is qualified to declare news like this. We have the information.” Reports from Iran confirms that the regime was aware of the coronavirus’ spread three weeks ago and that the first victim was in the city of Qom.
#Coronavirus Spreads Across #Iran While Regime Maintains Secrecy https://t.co/MyYa2tDAj3#FreeIran2020#COVIDー19
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 26, 2020
in an interview with the state-run ISNA news agency on February 24, Dr. Mehdi Shafii, Head of Department of Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, revealed: “From February 10, the government, in a statement to the Ministry of Health, called for all infrastructures in the provinces to be prepared for possible fight against the virus.” He added: “Numerous meetings were held with the Kerman governorate and relevant agencies in Kerman province.”
#CoronavirusOutbreak in #Iran and the Regime’s Ongoing Denial and Inaction https://t.co/cgAAjZ3qCR
On Mon Abadi Farahani,regime’s MP from the city of Qom, where #coronavirus was 1st detected,revealed that 50 people in Qom had died within the past 2weeks due to the #COVIDー19.— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 25, 2020
The regime’s approach, such as disseminating false information and refusing to take pre-emptive measures and distribute medical equipment to confront the COVID-19, has caused the rapid spread of the virus to different parts of the country, from central and northern Iran to the eastern, western and southern parts of the country.
These contradictions between officials’ sayings and the facts on the ground confirm that the extent and the dimension of the coronavirus spread in Iran is much more than what is reflected in the news. Yet, the regime has not taken any practical actions to resolve this issue.
In this regard, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), said: “The regime is repeating the same narrative regarding the Coronavirus as the one concerning the downing of the Ukrainian airliner, albeit on a much larger scale.” Mrs. Rajavi called on physicians, nurses and hospital staff to publicize their information quickly in order to save the lives of the Iranian people and to thwart the regime’s cover-up and misleading information.
Call on WHO to send medical teams to #Iran; urging physicians and nurses to help the people #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/Ri4wL8RKAZ
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) February 26, 2020
Earthquake in northwest Iran
On Sunday, February 23, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake shook the towns and villages of northwest Iran near the cities of Khoy and Salmas in the West Azerbaijan Province. The areas of Qatour near the town of Zarabad experienced the gravest hit with dozens of aftershocks throughout Sunday, following the initial quake at 9:23 am local time.
The cities of Tabriz, Osku, Sahand, Urmia and others across Iran’s East and West Azerbaijan provinces were also shaken by this earthquake. More than 3,500 homes in the earthquake–hit areas have been damaged.
While locals near the cities of Khoy & Salmas, along with other areas of northwest Iran, are facing massive destruction following the Feb 23 earthquakes, the city of Kerman in south-central Iran was also shaken by a 4.9-magnitude quake.#Iranhttps://t.co/9slNKllEIz
— People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 26, 2020
The regime’s officials in West Azerbaijan Province are reporting 43 villages have suffered between 10 to 100 percent damage. The village of Mohayen near the city of Khoy has experienced immense damages and locals are in dire need of support. Reports from Iran indicate 104 people being injured as a result of the Sunday earthquakes. The second earthquake on Sunday in Mohayen, measuring at 5.9-magnitude, unfortunately, left this village destroyed.
In addition to this, the city of Kerman in south-central Iran was also hit by a 4.9-magnitude earthquake at 4 am Monday, February 25. This quake was recorded at a depth of 10 kilometers and locals have been in utter fear and concern.
According to a state-run news agency “Locals of the Koutan-abad village have been forgotten and are still waiting for Red Crescent medical teams. More than 80 percent of the homes in this village of 130 families, made of mudbricks and wooden roofs, have been leveled.”
Yet, the Iranian regime has not taken any action and has tried to cover up the extent and dimension of the crisis.
While pointing to the regime’s inaction to help the survivors, Mrs. Rajavi said: “Mullahs’ regime is covering up damages in the 5.7-Richter earthquake in West Azerbaijan. Over 100 villages were damaged. I request help for those affected, especially in Khoy and Salmas urge vigilance by fellow compatriots in the Province about subsequent aftershocks.”
Mullahs’ regime is covering up damages in the 5.7-Richter earthquake in W. Azerbaijan. Over 100 villages were damaged. I request help for those affected, especially in #Khoy & #Salmas & urge vigilance by fellow compatriots in the Province about subsequent aftershocks. #Iran
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) February 23, 2020
Floods to hit Iranian cities
Seasonal rains in Lorestan province in western Iran have caused rising floodwaters. This area was ravaged by the flood last year in March. Reports from Iran, mostly obtained by the people’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and also wired by the state-run news agencies, such as Tasnm, indicate that at least thousand homes in the city of Poledokhtar have been evacuated in the past few days.
Cities throughout Lorestan Province in western #Iran are witnessing rising floodwaters following seasonal rains.
Flood warnings have been issued in more than 50 cities ranging in parts of northern, northwest, west, southwest and southern Iran.https://t.co/0Kjy2Zdqnu— People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) February 26, 2020
Roads leading to 150 villages around the city of Aligudarz, 70 villages near Delfan, 60 villages near Kuhdasht, 15 villages near Poledokhtar and 20 villages near Chegeni have been blocked due to the rising floodwaters.
Back in January, unprecedented floods in Sistan Baluchestan, Hormozgan and Kerman provinces caused severe damages to cities and villages in some of the most impoverished regions of Iran. According to reports, at least four people died in the floods and thousands have been displaced.
“I call on all valiant youths of Lorestan, Ilam and other western provinces to launch a national solidarity effort to deal with the floods and aid the flood-stricken compatriots. Young people must take the initiative and rush to the aid of our flood-hit compatriots. The facilities usurped by the clerical regime must be placed at the disposal of the public. The ruling mullahs’ criminal cover-up, dissemination of misleading information and inaction have multiplied the scale of damages and human and material loss,” Mrs. Maryam Rajavi said in this regard.
Young people must take the initiative and rush to the aid of our flood-hit compatriots. The facilities usurped by the clerical regime must be placed at the disposal of the public #Iran
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) February 25, 2020
The Iranian regime, due to its inhumane and antipatriotic nature and its institutionalized corruption, is not willing nor capable of preventing or controlling natural disasters. Instead of taking action, the regime tries to downplay the situation. For the regime, the most important thing is maintaining its rule. Therefore, it manipulates or downplays these crises to somehow avoid another round of Iran protests and sends its military and security forces to the damaged areas to suppress the possible protests rather than providing help to the people.
The cause of the devastation of the natural disasters in Iran is the regime’s policies, such as destruction of the environment or deforestation by constructing unnecessary dams or other projects to plunder the national wealth and to continue its warmongering policies. As the cases add up the people of Iran conclude that the ultimate solution to this situation is indeed the regime’s overthrow.
