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UN Official: Sanctions troubles for funding UN humanitarian projects in Iran

21 May 2013 16:40 (UTC+04:00)
UN Official: Sanctions troubles for funding UN humanitarian projects in Iran

By Sara Rajabova

The sanctions and restrictions imposed on Iran's economy and the banking system have troubled transfer of funds from Geneva to Tehran for funding UN humanitarian projects in Iran, a UN envoy Bernard Doyle said, Fars news agency reported.

Speaking to reporters in Tehran on the occasion of the World Refugee Day, Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Iran Bernard Doyle said that the sanctions imposed on Tehran have made transfer of money from Geneva (UNHCR's Headquarters) to Tehran "a major problem" for his agency.

He further complained that "issues and problems of the refugees are among humanitarian affairs and should not be treated politically."

So far, Iranian officials have on many occasions blasted the western officials' claim that anti-Iran sanctions have not targeted humanitarian and medical fields.

Also, recently, a member of the Iranian parliament (Majlis) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Mohammad Saleh Jokar said the West has reached an impasse over the U.S.-led sanctions against the country, Press TV reported.

"All the Western countries have noticed that increasing sanctions does not have any influence on the domestic or foreign policies of Iran," the Iranian MP said.

He added that despite the sanctions, Iran has made progress in nuclear energy sector.

However, the impacts of the sanctions regarding the health sector of Iran, is obvious.

Both the U.S. and EU allege that foodstuff and medicine have been exempted from restrictions, but the tough sanctions imposed on financial transactions with Iran have practically blocked Iranian companies' access to the international markets as they cannot pay for their purchases.

Late in December, an Iranian health official blasted the UN's lack of proper action to prevent the harmful impacts of the U.S.-led western sanctions on the supply of medicine to Iran.

Head of Iran's Medical Council Shahabeddin Sadr in a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon lambasted the silence and indifference of the world body to the vital results of the U.S.-led western sanctions and restrictions on the supply of drugs and medical equipment to Iran.

"It is not the time to kill time with useless and fruitless bureaucracy, rather it is time for taking responsible, accountable and human action very rapidly, and it is of surprise that the UN and its other relevant bodies and organizations are showing unjustified silence," Sadr said in a second letter to the UN chief in protest at the U.S. ban on medical supplies to Iran after he sent a similar letter to Ki-moon a few weeks ago and the UN chief demanded him.

He asked Ban Ki-moon to pursue the case at the UN and take proper action to prevent the boycott, and urged him to "decisively condemn this inhuman action of the western countries which is a betrayal to the history and humanity, and stop the sanctions on medicine and medical equipments".

Sadr also called on the UN to ask nations to avoid political or economically-tainted attitudes towards health and well-being of the people of the world.

In early 2012, the United States and the European Union imposed sanctions on Iran's oil and financial sectors with the goal of preventing other countries from purchasing Iranian oil and conducting transactions with the Central Bank of Iran.

Later in October, the EU foreign ministers reached an agreement on another round of sanctions against Iran.

Also, the U.S. several times imposed sanctions on that country based on the accusation that Iran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

However, Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

The Western countries have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program, whilst Iran rejects allegations saying it is entitled to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

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