$250 Million in Gov’t Grants, Loans to Kermanshah Quake Victims

The government will allocate 6,590 billion rials ($164 million) in loans and 2,810 billion rials ($70 million) as grants to households in the quake-stricken Kermanshah Province in western Iran, said Government Spokesman Mohammad Baqer Nobakht in Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.

“Households in rural areas will receive 250 million rials ($6,250) in loans and 50 million rials ($1,250) as grants, while residents of urban areas will get loans to the tune of 350 million rials ($8,750) and grants worth 60 million rials ($1,500),” IRNA quoted Nobakht as saying. “The government will offer 120 million rials ($3,000) in loans and 20 million rials ($500) as grants to households who need to repair their quake-damaged homes,” he added. Sunday’s 7.3-magnitude earthquake in the mountainous area of Kermanshah Province that borders Iraq claimed hundreds of lives and injured thousands.