19 March. The date that heavy downpours in northern Mazandaran Province led to flash floods that later opened their way in the neighbouring Golestan Province. Large swathes of northern Iran were inundated, many lost their homes and some were killed.
Southern Province of Fars was the next to be hit, killing nearly two dozen people. Intense rainfalls moved west and southwest, causing huge deluge. Thousands have been left homeless, many injured and some others killed.
Three weeks have past. Three intense weeks. There’s been huge popular mobilisation to help those hit the hardest. The private sector in the affected areas have not spared any efforts to help those in need.
Gorgan Chamber of Commerce
On the day that northern Golestan Province was inundated, Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) allocated an emergency fund worth 3 billion rials ($230,769) for Gorgan Chamber of Commerce to prepare and distribute hot food to 20,000 people in the region.
Individuals unload products provided by Gorgan Chamber of Commerce to be distributed among those affected by the floods (Credit: Iran Chamber Newsrtoom)
“Hot food has been distributed to 184,840 people during the last 14 days,” Gorgan Chamber of Commerce President Ali Mohammad Chupani told Iran Chamber Newsroom.
Workers help distribute food to thousands of people affected by severe floods. Gorgan Chamber of Commerce, supported by Iran Chamber of Commerce, is organising this humanitarian aid. (Credit: Iran Chamber Newsroom)
Mashhad Chamber of Commerce has also donated cash in a bid to provide aid supplies in the region.
Khorram Abad Chamber of Commerce
Out of the several western Iranian provinces, Lorestan was hit hardest of all by the recent flash floods. Hundreds of villages were totally inundated and large number of houses destroyed.
Khorram Abad Chamber of Commerce President Hossein Selahvarzi says his chamber has developed a plan to aid the flood survivors in three phases.
“After the floods happened, a special committee was set up at Khoraam Abad Chamber of Commerce to deliver aid,” he added. “Necessary items such as hygienic equipment, food, blankets, … have been provided and distributed between the affected people,” Selahvarzi explained.
Watch video: Necessary products provided by Kkhorram Abad Chamber of Commerce for flood survivors
The chamber has used off road vehicles to deliver the aid supplies to the areas cut off from the main roads, according to Selah Varzi, who is also the vice president of Iran Chamber of Commerce.
Watch video: Offroad vehicles move past obstacles to deliver aid to those cut off from main roads
In the second phase, the local private sector entity seeks to reconstruct the destroyed schools as well as provide basic home appliances for those affected by the floods, he mentioned.
The businessman noted that his chamber will collect information about the industrial parks and towns and workshops that have been affected during the flash floods and submit the information to the government in a bid to compensate for the damages and losses.
Ahvaz Chamber of Commerce
Heavy rainfalls and the floods that have flown downstream from Lorestan have exacerbated the situation from Khouzestan Province where the waters have inundated several cities and hundreds of villages.
Ahvaz Chamber of Commerce has collected humanitarian aid and delivered it to the areas that have been affected by the deluge. Ahvaz Chamber of Commerce President Shahla Amuri told Iran Chamber Newsroom that efforst are being made to send people to the ground in the affect regions to gauge the scope of the damage and collect more humanitarian aid.