Health Ministry Denies Deaths Due to Cold in Earthquake-Affected Areas of Kermanshah

The Deputy Minister for Social Affairs of the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education denied reports of deaths due to cold in the earthquake-affected areas of Kermanshah. According to the state news agency IRNA, Mohammad Mahdi Iazari stated on Tuesday, February 5, that 'about one-third of the earthquake victims in Kermanshah still live in tents, but we have no reports of deaths due to cold in Kermanshah.' Previously, based on a video published on the website of the House of the Nation, affiliated with the Parliament, Shahab Naderi, the representative of Paveh and Oramanat, claimed that several children in the earthquake-affected areas of Kermanshah, including an eight-month-old child, had died due to 'convulsions and fever caused by cold.' He did not specify the exact number of these children but added that this was confirmed in the death certificates issued by the forensic medicine. Earlier, the newspaper Qanoon reported on January 5 that a two-year-old child named Sarina Zahabi, who lived in a tent with her family in the earthquake-affected areas, had died due to cold. Following that, the newspaper Shargh reported on January 27 that at least three other children had died in these areas. According to this report, Noushin Mohammadi, a 17-year-old disabled girl, Matiyar Shamaei, a one-and-a-half-year-old child, and a two-year-old boy whose name is not specified, died in the earthquake-affected areas of Kermanshah. Fatemeh Daneshvar, a former member of the Tehran City Council and manager of the Mehr-Afarin charity center, stated in an interview with this newspaper that 'we have received news of the deaths of five children under five years old' and 'these deaths were caused by cold.' However, Hossein Bazvand, the governor of Kermanshah, strongly denied the deaths of several earthquake victims due to cold, stating: 'I am one hundred percent sure that no one has died in the earthquake-affected areas due to cold.' Meanwhile, Farhad Tajri, a member of Parliament, recently stated about the housing situation of earthquake victims in western Iran during the cold season that 'at least 35 to 40 percent of the earthquake victims do not have trailers.' At the same time, the Deputy Minister for Social Affairs of the Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education denied the statements made by the representative of Paveh and Oramanat regarding '97 cases of suicide attempts and thoughts' in these areas. Shahab Naderi, the representative of Paveh and Oramanat in Parliament, cited statistics announced by the director of the Welfare Organization of Kermanshah Province, stating that there are 97 cases of 'suicidal actions and thoughts' in the earthquake-affected areas. He emphasized that some earthquake victims do not have access to sanitary facilities and that some have not bathed for 70 days. Mr. Naderi also mentioned that the promises made by officials to provide trailers or a loan of five million tomans to earthquake victims have not been fulfilled in some areas. Previously, Mohsen Farahani, the technical deputy of the Environmental Health Center of the Ministry of Health, announced on February 1 that the construction of sanitary facilities in the earthquake-affected areas of Kermanshah has not yet been completed. The 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Kermanshah that occurred on November 21 left over 600 dead and destroyed the homes of tens of thousands. Following this event, many campaigns were launched to collect financial and material aid for the earthquake victims, and government officials made promises to resolve the problems of the people in this region. However, in the more than three months since the earthquake, numerous reports have emerged in the media and social networks about shortages and criticisms from the local population.