Displaying items by tag: death toll

The official Iranian death toll from the recent twelve-day war with Israel has been raised to 935, including 38 children and 132 women, based on new forensic data. Iranian officials accused Israel of war crimes and vowed to present evidence to international bodies. The government also criticised Donald Trump’s rhetoric about potential further strikes and sanctions, dismissing his remarks as psychological manipulation rather than genuine diplomacy. Meanwhile, tensions have risen over the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Officials have condemned its ‘double standards’, and have said that its boss Rafael Grossi is not welcome in Iran. They have also refused to guarantee the safety of nuclear inspectors. Western nations have condemned the threats against Grossi and urged Iran to maintain cooperation with the IAEA.

Uganda’s education minister has decided to shut all types of schools from 25 November after 23 Ebola cases were confirmed among pupils and eight children died. The virus circulating in Uganda is the Sudan strain of Ebola, for which there is no proven vaccine, unlike the more common Zaire strain which spread during recent outbreaks in neighbouring DR Congo. Ebola is spread through bodily fluids; common symptoms are fever, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhoea. Outbreaks are difficult to contain, especially in urban settings. Ebola generally kills about half the people it infects. The decision to close all schools came because densely packed classrooms were making students highly vulnerable to infection. On 5 November the three-week lockdown on Mubende and Kassanda districts, which are at the centre of the outbreak, was extended. The measures include dusk-to-dawn curfews, banning personal travel, and closing markets, bars and churches.

Over sixty people have died following floods across Iran. 78 intercity roads are blocked, 2,199 rural roads and 84 bridges have been washed away. 141 rivers burst their banks, and 400 landslides were reported. Floods have damaged nearly 7,500 miles of roads (36% of the country’s network). Government and aid agencies came under severe criticism for their efforts being too small in scale and unable to cope with the acute needs of tens of thousands of flood victims. Emergency services sent four helicopters to Pol-e Dokhtar because land routes to the city are cut off. Many people are in tents. A parliament member warned President Rouhani, ‘People facing a tragedy urgently need food, drinking water, medicine and warm clothes’.The lack of order and planning is widespread. Pray for the thousands sheltering in the open with little food, clean water or warm clothes in often rainy weather.