IRCS Seeks German Assistance

Germany would be willing to cooperate with the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) in the providing rescue helicopters and emergency vehicles.

As part of its plan to upgrade the air and road emergency fleet, the IRCS has called on German officials to assist organizations involved in humanitarian work.

In a meeting with the German ambassador last week, head of the IRCS, Amir Mohsen Ziaei, said Iran is seeking help in procuring helicopters and 150 rescue vehicles from German companies.

“We believe that Germany can be of great assistance given the large number of humanitarian organizations active in that country,” he said.

The senior German envoy, Michael Klor-Berchtold, said his country is prepared to help empower Iran’s emergency services.

He described Iran’s emergency operations as professional referring to a recent incident when German skiers and mountaineers in Mount Damavand in Amol, northern Mazandaran Province, were rescued by IRCS teams.

“We are ready to link the IRCS to our humanitarian organizations,” he was quoted as saying by the IRCS news portal.

Elaborating on the activities of the IRCS, Ziaei said it has “comprehensive plans to improve emergency information and knowledge among the people including the ‘Khadem’ scheme in which, door to door training is given to households.”

The IRCS has had close collaboration with its German counterpart through memorandums of understanding especially in training workforce, buying search and rescue dogs and mountain relief operations.

It has also been involved in missions in international operations in disaster-hit countries such as Nepal, Somalia and Pakistan.

Ziaei pointed to Iran’s large number of volunteer emergency force that makes the country the third in the world with regard to active volunteers.  

The IRCS was established in 1922 and was admitted to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It is headquartered in Tehran and is among the top five relief agencies in the world.

Since inception it has participated in a variety of public activities such as building maternity hospitals, setting up clinics offering free services, water supply to remote regions and constructing graveled roads.