TEHRAN – More than 268,000 Iranians have referred to blood donation centers across the country since the beginning of the imposed war on February 28, till April 4, donating over 220,000 units of blood.

With the outbreak of the illegal US-Israel war against Iran, the people of Tehran from all walks of life refer in large numbers to blood donation centers to give blood and help treat the injured citizens. 

The number of referrals, and the amount of blood donated over the past month increased by 15 percent and 10 percent, respectively, Mehr news agency quoted Babak Yektaparast, an official with the Blood Transfusion Organization, as saying.

In the days when the country is in a state of war, blood donation centers in the country showcase scenes of sacrifice and solidarity.

In the first two weeks of the current Iranian year, started on March 21, the number of blood donors in Isfahan province has increased by 34 percent, compared to the same period last year. Interestingly, women’s participation has shown an increase of 106 percent.

In Golestan province, the rate of blood donation hiked by 28 percent. Twenty-one percent of donors were donating blood for the first time. Woman made up 10 percent of the whole donors.

During Nowruz holidays, from March 21 till April 2, blood donation in Ilam province increased by 12.5 percent, with women’s share rise by 113 percent.

According to Yektaparast, a total of 2,111,476 Iranians donated blood in the first ten months of the past Iranian year, March 2025 – March 2026) 

The highest blood donation growth was recorded in the provinces of Zanjan (around 13 percent), Sistan-Baluchestan (about ten percent), and Isfahan (almost eight percent), the health ministry’s website quoted the official as saying.

During the same period, the continuous blood donation growth rate in the country increased to over 55 percent. The provinces of Semnan (more than 69 percent),
Golestan, and Qom (about 67 percent) hold the highest rates for continuous blood donation, respectively, he noted.

“Women’s share of blood donation in the country is almost five percent,” Yektaparast added. 

The official went on to say that Tehran province accounted for more than 16 percent of the total blood donation in the same period. 

According to Ahmad Qarah-Baghian, an official with Iran Blood Transfusion Organization, around 1.7 percent of the country’s population donates blood regularly, and the blood donation index is 28 per 1,000 population.

The average amount of blood storage in the country is sufficient for five days, but it can be increased to eight days, IRNA quoted Qarah-Baghian as saying in January.

Blood donations are always needed. The life of some patients, such as those suffering from hemophilia and thalassemia, depends on regular blood transfusions, the official noted.