December 29, 2003
U.S. Sends Relief Assistance to Iranian Earthquake Victims
U.S. gov't, charity groups work to address the victims' needs
Washington -- A U.S. C-130 transport aircraft landed in Kerman, Iran, shortly after midnight December 28 with more than 9000 kilograms of emergency relief supplies for the victims of the December 26 earthquake that devastated the ancient city of Bam.
U.S. airmen and Iranian soldiers unloaded the plane's cargo onto waiting trucks, which transported the supplies to the disaster site, 185 kilometers to the southeast.
This is the first U.S. flight to Iran since the Iranian hostage crisis ended in 1981.
Defense Department Spokesman Lt. Col. Jim Cassella said, "We share the victims' grief and we stand ready to help them in any way we can."
In all, the United States plans to ferry more than 68,000 kilograms of supplies to Iran. The Defense Department reports that eight C-130 aircraft and one C-17 have been commandeered from Centcom's Middle East fleet to participate in the humanitarian mission.
Captain Steve Honda from U.S. Transportation Command also reports that three U.S.- based aircraft have been loaded with supplies and disaster relief teams from the United States and are en route to the Kerman airfield.
To date, emergency supply deliveries have included intravenous fluids, bandages, gauze and surgical equipment as well as food and purified water. Blankets and pajamas will also be provided, as most of the survivors currently have no protection against the cold.
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http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/wwwhwashnews1135.htmlChurch World Service Shelters Survivors of Iranian Earthquake
December 28, 2003
NEW YORK - Church World Service is assisting the thousands who survived the December 26 earthquake in Bam, Iran, with an emergency grant of $30,000 to purchase and distribute emergency shelter materials. The humanitarian agency is also planning emergency airlifts, pending further assessment on Dec. 29, of blankets, tents, hygiene and medical supplies. Immediate needs for those left homeless are tents, blankets and medical supplies.
The considerable scale of this disaster means that rehabilitation and reconstruction will be a monumental challenge. CWS is making plans to provide long-term rehabilitation assistance to affected communities. Some 200,000 people live near and around Bam and about 70 percent of the houses in Bam were destroyed, Iranian State television reported.
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http://www.churchworldservice.org/news/archives/2003/12/146.html