TEHRAN – The head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), Pirhossin Kolivand, has asked the World Health Organization (WHO) and red crescent societies to reaffirm their commitment by taking immediate actions to help address the catastrophic human crisis in Gaza.

In a letter to the WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Kolivand urgently requested ‘facilitating the delivery of medicines and humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip’, the IRCS website reported.

“With the world witnessing one of the most catastrophic humanitarian crises in the Gaza Strip, it is the moral and humanitarian duty of international institutions to act swiftly to save the lives of defenceless civilians, particularly children, pregnant women, and the sick," the letter reads.

"According to well-documented and official reports by reputable international organizations such as the World Food Program (WFP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the humanitarian situation in Gaza is on the brink of total collapse. The ongoing blockade, destruction of medical infrastructure, and acute shortages of medicine, food, and fuel, as well as blocked aid corridors, have placed millions of innocent lives at serious risk.

Under these dire circumstances, the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, while expressing its full readiness to contribute to relief efforts, respectfully urges you and the World Health Organization to prioritize the following urgent actions:

1. Support the immediate opening of humanitarian corridors for the delivery of medicines, medical equipment, and health personnel;

2. Coordinate with relevant international bodies to ensure the safe and secure delivery of humanitarian aid through protected corridors; and

3. Strengthen logistical and medical support for the few remaining operational health centers and hospitals in Gaza.

Undoubtedly, the active, impartial, and effective role of your organization in this critical situation can save thousands of innocent lives and rekindle hope in the hearts of countless suffering families.”

In another letter, Kolivand addressed his counterparts in red crescent societies. His letter titled ‘Urgent Call to Action: Advocate for Immediate Governmental Intervention to Address the Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza’ called on red crescent societies to take immediate steps to advocate for the affected people in Gaza. 

“On behalf of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), I am writing to draw your urgent attention to the devastating humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza,” the letter reads.

“According to recent reports and statements from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), WHO, the UNRWA, and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the situation on the ground is dire and demands immediate and coordinated humanitarian intervention. The people of Gaza are enduring unimaginable suffering: widespread malnutrition, starvation, and a severe lack of access to food and clean water have left countless children and civilians in critical condition. 

The destruction of hospitals and healthcare infrastructure severely compromises the delivery of essential medical services, further exacerbating the crisis. Over 50,000 children have been killed or injured, with thousands more suffering from severe malnutrition. 

Since October 2023, WHO has reported over 725 attacks on healthcare facilities. Hospitals such as Kamal Adwan, Indonesia Hospital, Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics, and the European Gaza Hospital have suspended medical services due to their proximity to conflict zones, deepening the humanitarian emergency. 

The health of women—particularly pregnant and breastfeeding women—is gravely at risk. UNICEF reports that since April 2025, 80 children have died from malnutrition, a tragic 54 percent increase in less than three months, with thousands of children under 5 facing life-threatening malnutrition.

The IRCS kindly encourages your National Society to reaffirm its critical mandate and take immediate steps to advocate for those affected. In accordance with common Article 2 to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, States Parties bear the responsibility to ensure respect for IHL and to protect the dignity of civilians caught in armed conflict. The IRCS calls upon your National Society to urgently issue public statements, actively engage its government, and exert strong diplomatic pressure to:

Halt all hostilities and violence impacting civilians and humanitarian operations in Gaza; facilitate unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid and medical services; and hold perpetrators accountable and end impunity for International Humanitarian Law.

The ongoing crisis in Gaza is a stark reminder of our shared commitment to humanity. We must collectively advocate for peace, protection of human life, and the alleviation of suffering. Together, through principled humanitarian action and effective governmental engagement, we can uphold the fundamental values that define our Movement.

We reaffirm our solidarity with all affected communities and with your colleagues across the Movement during these challenging times.”

Also, a week ago, Kolivand, in a letter to the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), called for urgent actions to be taken to stop the humanitarian crisis escalated by starvation in Gaza, and end the torture of civilians.

Referring to the reports of the WFP and UNRWA, Kolivand said that about a quarter of the Gaza population is facing famine, and thousands of women and children have died because of malnutrition. 

Also, there have been reports of Zionist military forces targeting civilians waiting in line for food, he noted.

The letter highlights Israeli actions as a clear example of war crimes and a clear violation of the principles of humanitarian law. The actions of the Israeli regime could fall under the definition of genocide in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the 1948 Convention.

The official went on to call on the ICRC to utilize all its capacities to expand humanitarian diplomacy with responsible institutions to pave the way for humanitarian aid to the region.

MT/MG