IOCC Responding to Assist Iran Earthquake Victims

Baltimore (IOCC)—International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is responding to the devastating Dec. 26 earthquake in southeast Iran with emergency relief and reconstruction assistance for victims of the disaster.

Current estimates are that the 6.6-magnitude earthquake killed more than 25,000 people in Bam, Iran, burying them beneath the rubble of their mud brick homes. An estimated 100,000 people were left homeless and more than 10,000 people were injured by the earthquake, the worst to hit Iran since 1990.

IOCC, the humanitarian aid agency of Orthodox Christians, has authorized the procurement of relief aid such as blankets, stoves, tents, food and fresh water to help meet the urgent needs of survivors in and around the city of Bam.

“It is critical that these people have shelter from the cold and other basic necessities in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake,” said IOCC Executive Director Constantine M. Triantafilou. “Their survival depends on it.”

IOCC is partnering with other church-based humanitarian aid organizations, including Church World Service and Action by Churches Together, in its earthquake response.

In addition to the immediate needs, IOCC is assessing the need for long-term reconstruction and development assistance on the part of earthquake survivors.

Previously, IOCC has responded to earthquakes in Turkey and Greece. In the Middle East, IOCC also has programs in Lebanon, Iraq and the West Bank.

To contribute to IOCC’s earthquake relief effort in Iran, please mark donations “Iran Earthquake Relief” and send them to IOCC, P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, Md. 21263-0225.

To learn more about IOCC’s emergency relief and development programs around the world, please visit www.iocc.org.