Iran dispatches aid to flood-stricken Serbia, Bosnia

The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has sent a large consignment of humanitarian aid to flood-hit Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, an IRCS official said.
Deputy Head of the IRCS for international and humanitarian affairs Shahabeddin Mohammadi Araqi said on Saturday that the IRCS was among the first organizations which voiced readiness for dispatching rescue and relief equipment and humanitarian aid to Balkan.
He noted that the flooding, which have been unprecedented in past 120 years, prompted the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to issue an emergency appeal for help.
The Iranian Red Crescent responded to the appeal by providing financial assistance and essential supplies for those affected, including household items, foodstuff, and emergency shelter, the official added.
The flooding, which has left nearly 50 people dead and forced tens of thousands from their homes, forced the governments of Bosnia and Serbia to declare a state of emergency on May 15.
Bosnian Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija noted that over a quarter of Bosnia's four million people have been affected by the floods.
Meantime, Serbia’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said the country has been affected 10 times more than other countries in the region.
Thousands of people in affected areas have been airlifted from their homes’ balconies or rooftops.
In Serbia, floodwaters have also swallowed up entire towns and villages as well as parts of the country’s main power plant, Nikola Tesla.
Rescue teams and humanitarian aid from 14 European Union member states have reportedly gone to Bosnia and Serbia.