Statements by Representatives of Kermanshah and Islamabad West Regarding Earthquake Victims

The representative of Kermanshah in the Islamic Consultative Assembly criticized crisis management following the 7.3 magnitude earthquake, stating that "more than a thousand people have died so far." Meanwhile, the representative of Islamabad West claimed that announcing a figure twice the official statistics is "influenced by the emotional atmosphere created." Ahmad Safari, the representative of Kermanshah, said in an interview with ILNA on November 24 that "no aid has reached some villages" and added, "more than a thousand people have died so far." The figure he announced is more than double the current official statistics. According to the latest reports from Iran's national emergency service, the number of fatalities is reported as 474, with over 9,300 injured being hospitalized in various hospitals. Hours after Ahmad Safari's interview, Hoshmatollah Falahatpisheh, the representative of Islamabad West and Dalaloo, stated in an interview with ISNA that "there is no reason to hide the death toll from the earthquake; certainly announcing a number of casualties that is more than double at once is contrary to reality and may have been influenced by the emotional atmosphere." Mr. Falahatpisheh confirmed the official statistics, saying that "crisis management officials in each region... first conduct local investigations" and that "the basis of these reports is based on local individuals in villages and towns." The statements made by these two representatives reflect contradictory views on the status of aid and local responses. Ahmad Safari, severely criticizing crisis management, stated that organizations like the Iranian Red Crescent "need to establish a crisis management headquarters themselves." He told ILNA, "When a truckload of supplies arrives in the area, they quickly unload it. Those who are strong take the supplies into the tents, but those who are mourning or embarrassed remain hungry." Although this representative did not refer to the videos and images recently published on social media, what he says is somewhat visible in these videos and images. On the other hand, Hoshmatollah Falahatpisheh claims that "some hostile media" portray the situation "inverted." He referred to the publication of a video showing "attacks on some vehicles" and stated that such incidents were "rare." Ahmad Safari described the situation in the affected areas as "apocalyptic" and stated that "the fundamental root of the problems is the lack of crisis management." The Kermanshah representative noted that although conditions have improved, there are still issues regarding the shortage of tents and heating supplies: "Perhaps only 10 percent of villages have received tents." Problems related to tent distribution continue to be reflected in the media and social networks. The issue of tent shortages, especially in severely affected areas that are naturally heading into cold weather in the last weeks of autumn, has been raised repeatedly in recent days. Responsible officials have emphasized that this problem will be resolved soon. Ahmad Safari mentioned that some "unprincipled individuals" have taken tents and are selling them; this issue is not new and has been reported previously during major earthquakes like those in Bam or Rudbar. On the other hand, Mr. Falahatpisheh emphasized that "the people can be assured that we are receiving public aid with careful oversight and distributing it among the earthquake victims, and the distribution process has been organized." Public aid and expressions of sympathy and solidarity among citizens have been reflected on social media following the earthquake. The Kermanshah earthquake, centered in Azgaleh, has been described as an almost unprecedented earthquake in terms of intensity. The United Nations has also stated that this earthquake is the deadliest earthquake of the current year globally. On Wednesday, the head of the Civil Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly stated on Iranian state television that there are 130,000 hectares of unsuitable and dilapidated fabric throughout Iran, and the Ministry of Roads has emphasized that there is not enough speed in their reconstruction.