Armenia sending humanitarian assistance to earth-stricken Iran
17.08.2012,
18:37
Armenian trucks with humanitarian aid for Iranians who suffered from an earthquake on August 11, have left Friday evening for the neighboring country, the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations said. The decision to send aid was made by the government at a Thursday session.
YEREVAN, August 17. /ARKA/. Armenian trucks with humanitarian aid for Iranians who suffered from an earthquake on August 11, have left Friday evening for the neighboring country, the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations said. The decision to send aid was made by the government at a Thursday session.
According to the report, Armenia is sending canned food, about 40 thousand bottles of drinking water, 81 tents to shelter 700 people, 1,000 blankets, 6,000 sheets, 300 mattresses, 460 sleeping bags and 100 clamshells, totaling approximately 37 million drams (about 90,000 US dollars).
Armenia at different times provided humanitarian aid to Turkey, Japan, Russia, USA, Sri Lanka and Iran which suffered from quakes and other natural disasters.
The August 11 quake in Iran has killed 306 people. The worst damage and most casualties appeared to be in rural villages around the towns of Ahar, Varzaghan and Harees. Thousands of people huddled in makeshift camps or slept in the street in fear of more aftershocks. Red Crescent said about 16,000 people in the quake-hit area had been given emergency shelter. The quake was felt in southern Armenian Agarak, Meghri, Kajaran, Kapan and Goris.
Iran is located on seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes. In 2003, some 26,000 people were killed by a 6.6 magnitude quake that flattened the historic southeastern city of Bam. -0-
