Tehran – The Red Crescent Association of Russia, Norway, Albania, Austria, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Qatar support the Iranian Red Crescent Association’s call to take immediate action to deal with Gaza’s devastating human crisis.
IRCS Head Pirosin Koliband wrote a letter to the World Health Organization and Red Crescent Society on July 26, urgently calling for “promoting the promotion of medicines and humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip,” and took immediate steps to advocate for those affected by Gaza.
“It is the moral and humanitarian obligation of international organizations to act promptly to save the lives of vulnerable civilians, especially children, pregnant women and sick people, as the world witnesses one of the most devastating humanitarian crises in the Gaza Strip,” the letter reads.
Gaza’s humanitarian situation is on the brink of complete collapse, according to well-documented official reports from reputed international organizations such as the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Relief and Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Continuing lockdowns, destruction of medical infrastructure, and acute shortages of medicine, food and fuel, and blocked aid corridors placed innocent lives for millions at serious risk, officials noted.
Addressing his counterparts of his Red Crescent Association through his letter entitled “A Call for Emergency Action: Advocate for Immediate Government Intervention to Address the Humanitarian Catastrophe of Gaza,” he called for immediate action to be taken to defend those affected by Gaza.
“On behalf of Iran’s Red Crescent Association (IRCS), I am writing to attract your urgent attention to the devastating humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza,” the letter reads.
“According to recent reports and statements from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UNRWA, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), is calling for immediate and coordinated humanitarian intervention, a state of crisis.
The destruction of hospitals and medical infrastructure significantly impairs the delivery of critical health services, further exacerbating the crisis. More than 50,000 children have been killed or injured, and thousands more suffer from severe malnutrition.
Since October 2023, WHO has reported more than 725 attacks on health care facilities. Hospitals such as Kamal Adwan, Indonesian Hospital, Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics, and Gaza Hospital in Europe have stopped health services due to their proximity to conflict zones, deepening humanitarian emergencies.
Women’s Health – Women who are pregnant and breastfeeding especially are at risk. UNICEF reports that since April 2025, 80 children have died of malnutrition, a tragic 54% increase in under three months, with children under five facing life-threatening malnutrition.
The IRC kindly encourages your National Association to reaffirm its important duties and take immediate steps to advocate for those affected. According to Article 2, Article 2 of the 1949 Geneva Convention, political parties are responsible for ensuring respect for the IHL and protecting the dignity of civilians caught up in armed conflicts. IRCS calls on your National Association to issue a public statement urgently, to actively engage the government and to apply strong diplomatic pressure, such as:
Stop all hostility and violence that affects Gaza’s civilians and humanitarian activities. Promoting unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid and health services. Hold the perpetrators accountable and end their immunity against international humanitarian law.
The ongoing crisis in Gaza is a reminder of our shared commitment to humanity. We must collectively defend peace, protection of human life, and alleviate suffering. Together, through principled humanitarian actions and effective government involvement, we can maintain the fundamental values that define the movement.
We reaffirm our solidarity with all the communities that have been impacted and your colleagues during these challenging times. ”