TEHRAN – Over the past three days, the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has provided rescue services to 7,738 people affected by floods and snow blizzards in the country.

From January 20 to 22, 20 provinces of the country, including East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, Ardabil, Isfahan, Alborz, Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan, Zanjan, Semnan, Fars, Qazvin, Qom, Kordestan, Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad, Gilan, Lorestan, Mazandaran, Markazi, and Hamedan, were affected by winter storms and snows, IRNA quoted Babak Mahmoudi as saying.

A total of 256 IRCS teams, consisting of 858 rescuers, provided rescue services over the past three days. Relief teams transferred 46 individuals, including 8 pregnant women, to medical centers in East Azarbaijan, Ardabil, Alborz, North Khorasan, Zanjan, Semnan, Qazvin, and Hamedan provinces, he added.

Rescuers provided emergency accommodation to 1248 individuals in East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, Ardabil, Isfahan, Zanjan, Tehran, Semnan, Qazvin, Gilan, Lorestan, Mazandaran, and Hamedan provinces. 294 people were transported to safe places in East Azarbaijan, Semnan, Qazvin, Lorestan, Mazandaran, and Hamedan provinces, Mahmoudi said.

IRCS teams pulled 2806 vehicles out of snow and distributed basic goods among 2,676 people in East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, Ardabil, Tehran, North Khorasan, Semnan, Qazvin, Gilan, Lorestan, Mazandaran, and Hamedan provinces, the official further noted.

IRCS is a key humanitarian actor

In November 2025, Hossam Elsharkawi, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), highlighted the role of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) as one of the region’s and the world’s key humanitarian actors.

Lauding the IRCS efforts, Elsharkawi congratulated Pirhossein Kolivand’s re-election as the head of the IRCS, saying that the IRCS decisions are highly effective at international levels, IRNA reported.

The official made the remarks in an online meeting with Kolivand on November 14, 2025. During the meeting, the two officials discussed ways to foster collaborative efforts, develop rescue systems to enhance the country’s preparedness and response capabilities, and conduct international meetings and conferences in Iran.

The two sides emphasized the need to implement the previously signed memoranda of understanding between the two organizations to lay the ground for promoting educational, operational, and logistic collaborations.

MT/MG