Tehran, April 5, 2006 (UNIC) - UN Resident Coordinator/ UNDP Resident Representative Knut Ostby today visited the earthquake-hit districts of Lorestan province to personally assess the situation. He also met the provincial Governor-General, Mr. Mohseni Sani, head of the National Disaster Task Force, Mr. Syed Abbas Jazayeri and other senior officials. He was accompanied by the Head of OCHA Tehran office, Mr.A. A. Mojtahed Shabestari. Mr. Ostby informed the officials that the UN agencies in Iran have so far offered to the government for use in relief and recovery effort about a $ 1,000,000 in cash or in kind for the people of the Lorestan province. The Governor-General, Mr. Sani agreed with Mr. Ostby’s suggestion to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) assisting the government in setting up Resource and Information Centres for joint coordination in the affected districts of Lorestan.

The purpose of these centers will be to ensure information sharing and coordination among all agencies engaged in relief and rehabilitation and to ensure that there is no duplication of efforts by facilitating a functional and geographical distribution of responsibilities between all agencies. The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is sending tents worth $ 50,000 to the area. Meanwhile, an assessment team, comprising of UNICEF and UNESCO staff members arrived today in Lorestan to gather information on the educational and psychological situation of children. This team will report back on the extent of damage and will recommend a course of action, in coordination with counterparts. It will also look at any HIV/AIDS related needs. The blankets and tents supplied by UNICEF will be fully distributed today, under the supervision of the Resident Coordinator.

The State Welfare Organization (SWO) has also released some supplies from Bam which were originally provided by UNICEF including dolls, blankets, shoes and clothes for infants, boys and girls. Six tents are also included from the Bam Department of Education, which will serve as temporary education facilities. The supplies will most likely reach this evening. The reproductive health commodities and supplies, procured with support of UNFPA are now being distributed to clinics in Lorestan through IRCS and Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME). As part of a national strategic plan for reproductive health in emergencies, UNFPA has developed protocols help to improve access and quality of reproductive health services in the affected areas. UNFPA's support, in cooperation with MOHME, to the victims of earthquake, especially women, includes psycho-social counseling, individual and group therapy for those who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or gender-based violence. One new emergency health kit (sufficient for the medical needs of 10,000 people for a period of three months), mobilized from WHO country office stockpile, was dispatched for Borujerd early on 4 April. WHO has also established a field office in Doroud to assist local health authorities in dealing with the health and medical needs of the affected population. UN's Rapid Assessment Team has also returned and made available its assessment to the UN Country Team. The team suggested that the UN agencies should adopt a two-pronged strategy for relief and immediate recovery of the affected area, namely, immediate emergency interventions through relief measures and short and medium-term measures.