The UN representative in Iran says the international organization has opened a special financial channel to allow cash donations for the survivors of recent devastating floods in Iran.
"The United Nations has established a banking channel so cash assistance would makes its way into Iran," UN Resident Coordinator and Representative of Secretary General in Iran Ugochi Daniels told reporters in Tehran on Monday, the Iranian media report.
“This is the result of efforts that have been made at the UN headquarters,” she added. However, she didn't give more details about this financial channel.
Her remarks come at a time when the Iranian officials have criticized the US sanctions for blocking all banking channels that allow international donation for flood assistance to be transferred to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, a humanitarian organization.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society says it hansn't received any cash donation from abroad due to the US sanctions on banking relations with Iran. "No foreign cash aids have been made to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, as there are basically no financial channels for such purpose,” said the Red Crescent in a statement.
'The UN has always reiterated support for the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal of 2015) and declared that the US sanctions are not lawful,' the UN official stressed.
Daniels added that part of the aid supplies that have been arrived in Iran were purchased from outside Iran.
She emphasized that there are efforts being made at the highest levels of the UN not to allow that humanitarian aid be blocked from being sent to Iran.
The UN resident coordinator in Iran said that the UN has allocated $1,4 million for fast assistance and water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health and shelter for those devastated by the floods.