TEHRAN – Since the beginning of the US-Israeli imposed war on February 28, there has been a notable growth in the number of women and first-time donors referring to blood donation centers across the country, an official with the Blood Transfusion Organization has said.

First-time donors accounted for over 63 percent of the whole blood donors, and the women’s contribution has increased by 79-percent, IRNA quoted Ahmad Qarahbaghian as saying.

From February 28 till April 4, more than 268,000 Iranians have referred to blood donation centers across the country, donating over 220,000 units of blood.

With the outbreak of the illegal US-Israeli 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.

He told ISNA that a "waiting list" has been prepared for blood donation. “We are witnessing the formation of queues at some blood donation centers” he said, adding: “When a blood donation queue is formed at a center, the waiting time for blood donation increases and I apologize to the people for any possible delays.”
 
Stating that the blood donation process is time-consuming, he said that the process takes about 40 minutes from registration to the end. “Although we use all the human resources capacity, the number of visits for blood donation in some centers exceeds the human resources capacity.”

The aggression have so far led to the martyrdom of more than 1300 civilians, and destruction of 9669 civilian objectives including 7943 residential homes, 1617 commercial and service centers, 32 medical and pharmaceutical centers, 65 schools and educational premises, 13 Red Crescent buildings and a number of energy supply infrastructure. 

The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are at the core of international humanitarian law, the body of international law that regulates the conduct of armed conflict and seeks to limit its effects. 

They specifically protect people who are not taking part in the hostilities, including civilians, health workers and aid workers, and those who are no longer participating, such as wounded, sick and shipwrecked soldiers and prisoners of war. 

The Conventions and their Protocols call for measures to be taken to prevent or put an end to all breaches. They contain stringent rules to deal with what are known as "grave breaches".  

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.

In January 2025, the former World Health Organization (WHO) representative, Jaffar Hussain, admired the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization’s (IBTO) leadership in blood safety and transfusion services, and highlighted their remarkable achievement of a 100 percent voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation system, a testament to the principles of universal health coverage in action.

He also thanked the blood donors, whose selflessness serves as an inspiration to all.

Admiring the IBTO’s efforts and expertise in providing services to patients with rare blood types, the official underscored Iran’s capacity to serve as a model for other nations in the realm of blood transfusion and rare blood management.

Addressing National Rare Blood Day, Hussain praised the country’s steadfast commitment to equitable healthcare access, ensuring that no one is left behind, regardless of their blood type.

He commended the country’s unwavering dedication to tackling the unique challenges surrounding rare blood, emphasizing the critical importance of collaboration, innovation, and unwavering determination in this global endeavor.