Islamic Republic of Iran
The 22 February earthquake which struck the area of Zarand in south-central Iran killed more than 640 people, injured 1,500, and left tens of thousands homeless. While the Government of Iran has not appealed for international assistance, it has indicated that it seeks voluntary contributions from international organizations for a discrete set of humanitarian priorities.
WHO is collaborating with the concerned national and local authorities, UN agencies and NGOs to conduct assessments of needs and address urgent health issues. Overall requirements were assessed quickly. On 28 February, the WHO representative for Iran, Dr Mubashar Sheikh, developed a comprehensive assessment of earthquake-inflicted health sector damage and specific health sector needs in the Zarand area. The information was shared - with a number of embassies in Tehran.