Flood-hit Iran is evacuating more towns and villages as forecasts show further rain is expected on Saturday.Heavy
Tehran (Pakistan Point News / Online - 06th April, 2019) Flood-hit Iran is evacuating more towns and villages as forecasts show further rain is expected on Saturday.Heavy downpours are set to strike the south western provinces of the country as officials plan to release water from key river dams that are near capacity.Women and children are being moved to safer areas while men are asked to stay and assist with relief efforts.In recent weeks, much of the country has been submerged and the death toll currently stands at 70.
Towns such as Susangerd, with a population of 50,000, will be left at risk and it will be evacuated on Saturday, along with around five other communities in the province of Khuzestan.Around 70 villages in the province have already been evacuated over the past week.The region is rich in oil and energy companies placed in the area have been assisting with the flood relief by using pumps to remove water.Extremely heavy rain began on March 19, in total affecting about 1,900 cities, towns and villages.
Many thousands of roads, bridges and buildings have been destroyed.So far, 86,000 people are living in emergency shelters, of which about 1,000 were airlifted to safety.Aid agencies are struggling to cope with the demands and Iran's state budget is under pressure due to US sanctions on energy and banking.Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has accused US sanctions - reimposed after President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal last year - of impeding aid efforts to affected areas, saying that it has caused a shortage of rescue helicopters."This isn't just economic warfare; it's economic terrorism," Zarif tweeted on April.The government has maintained that people, especially farmers, will be compensated for their losses.The head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said the armed forces were "using all their power" to minimise damage.
