The Islamic Republic Allocates 550 Billion Tomans for Arbaeen Infrastructure

Mehdi Jamali-Najjad, the Deputy Minister of Interior for Urban Development, announced that 550 billion tomans have been allocated for the infrastructure of this year's Arbaeen pilgrimage. Previously, reports regarding the allocation of substantial budgets in Iran for the Arbaeen ceremonies had faced criticism. In this context, Majid Mirahmadi, head of the Arbaeen Headquarters, stated on Saturday, September 2, that over 3.35 million people have traveled from Iran to Iraq for the Arbaeen ceremonies so far. This is happening amidst double-digit inflation rates and worsening living conditions for the people in Iran, where government agencies and ministries have been providing 'facilities and free services' for pilgrims in recent years. The Ministry of Interior, Health, Roads and Urban Development, and the Red Crescent Society are among the government organizations that have played an active role in providing facilities for this year's ceremonies. In this regard, the website Didban Iran pointed out that the 550 billion tomans allocated for this year's ceremonies is five times the budget for the construction of the Tehran Metro this year, noting that the 100 billion tomans budget for the Tehran Metro is not even enough to create half of a metro station. On the other hand, despite ongoing protests from nurses and healthcare staff about low salaries, Bahram Einollahi, the Minister of Health, announced on September 25 the establishment of two border hospitals and the deployment of over 400 ambulances and ambulance buses, employing 1,000 health ministry staff for the Arbaeen ceremonies. Earlier, Pirhossein Kolivand, head of the Red Crescent Society, reported on August 2 the provision of about '400 tons of medicine' and more than '80 ambulances' for the 'Arbaeen pilgrims.' Meanwhile, Haidar Mohammadi, head of the Food and Drug Organization of the Ministry of Health, recently spoke about the unsatisfactory 'drug reserves of the country' and called for the establishment of a 'strategic reserve' in this regard. Concurrently, with a reduction of more than fifty percent in intercity buses, Shahryar Afandizadeh, Deputy Minister of Transportation, announced on July 20 that the import of 2,000 special buses for transporting Arbaeen pilgrims to Iraq has been completed. The establishment of 'three thousand Iranian tents' with a budget of three thousand billion tomans is also considered among the government facilities for the Arbaeen ceremonies, according to Mehrdad Bazrpash, Minister of Roads and Urban Development. The religious ceremony of 'Arbaeen' is held annually in the days leading up to the 20th of Safar in the lunar calendar, heading to the shrine of the third Imam of Shia Muslims in Karbala, Iraq. Every year, a number of pilgrims, including Iranians participating in the ceremonies, are killed or injured in traffic accidents. Iranian media reported on September 1 that 30 people were killed and injured following the collision of two vans carrying Iranian pilgrims on the Kadhimayn to Samarra route. According to this report, 12 of the deceased were Iranian.