ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Sweden and Norway’s ambassadors to Iran travelled to Kermanshah in Iranian Kurdistan on Monday to witness firsthand the devastation of homes and infrastructure caused by the massive 7.3 magnitude earthquake which struck the region on November 12. On June 11, Sweden’s ambassador to Iran Helena Sangeland and her Norwegian counterpart Lars Nordrum met with Houshang Bazvand, the governor of Kermanshah Province, to see the latest developments in the humanitarian aid mission. Last year’s earthquake struck the Kurdish areas along the Iran-Iraq border. The epicenter was at Sarpol-e Zahab town in Kermanshah, where more than 620 people died and up to 12,000 were injured. It was the world’s deadliest earthquake of 2017. “Two weeks after the earthquake, Sweden donated €200,000 in financial aid to those affected. Today we came here to visit the earthquake-affected areas of Kermanshah Province,” Sangeland told IRNA news agency. “The governor of Kermanshah has welcomed the help of Sweden for building hospitals and providing medicine. Sweden has advanced medical equipment and is ready to further help those who suffered from the earthquake,” she added. Nordrum said he will study the primary needs of earthquake-affected people and will pass on his findings to Norwegian officials. Just a day after the earthquake, several countries, including the Turkey, Japan, Qatar, and Georgia, announced their readiness to provide assistance, yet the Iranian government refused. The UNHCR has also sent several deliveries of warm blankets and family tents.
