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Tuesday, 25 December 2012
Sunday, 23 December 2012
Iranian boy 'dies after sanctions disrupt medicine supplies'
Haemophiliac Iranian boy 'dies after sanctions disrupt medicine supplies'
Trade restrictions and measures imposed on Iranian banks by US and EU blamed for drug shortages
Manouchehr Esmaili-Liousi died in hospital after his family failed to find the medicine he needed.
A teenage Iranian boy suffering from haemophilia has died due to a shortage of medicine in the country.
It is the first civilian death said to be directly linked to the impact that western economic sanctions are having on the Islamic republic.
Manouchehr Esmaili-Liousi was a 15-year-old from a nomadic tribe based in the mountains near the city of Dezful, in Iran's south-western province of Khuzestan.
He died in hospital after his family failed to find the vital medicine he desperately needed for his disease, Iran's state news agencies reported on Wednesday.
The news was announced by Ahmad Ghavidel, the director of Iran's haemophilia society.
He blamed Esmaili-Liousi's death on the US and EU for their punitive measures against Tehran, which are also hitting imports of medicine and hospital equipment.
Although sanctions are not directly targeting Iranian pharmacies and medical sectors, measures imposed on Iranian banks and trade restrictions have made life extremely difficult for patients across the country, who are facing difficulties in finding medicines made outside Iran.
"This is against human rights … Even in wars, women and children and patients are protected by some impunity based on international treaties," Ghavidel said, according to quotes carried by the state Irna news agency.
"But sanctions hitting medicine in Iran are causing a silent death and are a ploy to hurt the health of Iranian people."
According to Ghavidel, 75% of the medicines for the treatment of haemophilia are made in the US and the EU, making Iranian patients heavily dependent on their imports.
He said haemophilia medicines available in Iranian markets had been reduced to a third of former supply levels.
"Because of sanctions, we're extremely worried for the health of our patients suffering from haemophilia," he said.
"We believe that these sanctions imposed on Iran by the US and the EU are taking the health of Iranian people hostage, especially in regards to children and women.
"If they really think that medicine is not blacklisted by sanctions, they should let the Iranian government know of the safe way to access them – or, on other hand, they should put an end to the measures against Iranian banks."
In mid-October, a leading Iranian medical charity warned that a serious shortage of medicines caused by sanctions was putting millions of lives at risk.
Fatemeh Hashemi, head of Iran's Charity Foundation for Special Diseases, said at the time that patients – especially those suffering from haemophilia, multiple sclerosis and cancer – are affected.
The charity foundation is a non-government organisation supporting six million patients in Iran.
"More than anything else, we have a lack of medicines for patients suffering from cancer and multiple sclerosis," Hashemi told the conservative website Tabnak at the time.
"Those with thalassaemia or in need of dialysis are facing difficulties too – all because of sanctions against banks or problems with transferring foreign currency."
Earlier this month, the New York Times published a detailed report on how sanctions were taking an unexpected toll on medical imports, including medicines such as Herceptin, which is made in the US.
Among other medicines said to be scarce in Iranian pharmacies is the tetanus vaccine.
Baby milk is another imported product affected. Iran produces its own powdered milk, which is abundant in the market, but cannot produce certain diet milk types or those suitable for children with allergies. These are imported from outside.
There have been instances of children hospitalised as a result of the milk shortages, but no reports of deaths as yet.
In recent weeks, Iranians have complained about the soaring price of baby milk, which has nearly doubled from 60,000 rials (£3) to almost 120,000 rials a tin.
Western sanctions targeting sectors from banking to trade and energy are aimed at forcing Iran's leaders to comply with their international obligations on nuclear activities.
Tehran's leaders have remained defiant against six UN security council resolutions calling on them to halt enrichment of uranium and have refused to co-operate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency over their nuclear programme.
Opponents of sanctions say they are punishing ordinary Iranians rather than their rulers and have so far failed to achieve their primary goal.
A Foreign Office spokesman said on Wednesday: "Iran's leaders are responsible and can make the choices which would bring sanctions to an end.
"But we would stress that the UK government has always been clear that financial sanctions against Iran are not intended to affect humanitarian goods and payments.
"This is why there are a number of exemptions within sanctions legislation to allow such transactions to take place.
"These exemptions have been protected in the new sanctions with such transactions only requiring prior authorisation if they are over €100,000.
"While it is the government's policy not to encourage trade with Iran, Her Majesty's Treasury does prioritise the licensing of transactions for humanitarian goods, including medicines and foodstuffs."
Iran's central bank, the only official channel for Iranians to transfer money abroad, is a major target of the sanctions.
Ordinary Iranians, including academics, therefore have no way of paying for services overseas – such as booking a hotel or subscribing to international journals.
Although foreign providers are not legally bound to refuse services to Iranians, they err on the safe side for fear of getting into trouble.
Many Iranian-Britons or Iranian-Americans living in the west have complained they have had their credit accounts closed even though they have no connection with the Iranian regime or, in some cases, when they are allied with the opposition.
It is the first civilian death said to be directly linked to the impact that western economic sanctions are having on the Islamic republic.
Manouchehr Esmaili-Liousi was a 15-year-old from a nomadic tribe based in the mountains near the city of Dezful, in Iran's south-western province of Khuzestan.
He died in hospital after his family failed to find the vital medicine he desperately needed for his disease, Iran's state news agencies reported on Wednesday.
The news was announced by Ahmad Ghavidel, the director of Iran's haemophilia society.
He blamed Esmaili-Liousi's death on the US and EU for their punitive measures against Tehran, which are also hitting imports of medicine and hospital equipment.
Although sanctions are not directly targeting Iranian pharmacies and medical sectors, measures imposed on Iranian banks and trade restrictions have made life extremely difficult for patients across the country, who are facing difficulties in finding medicines made outside Iran.
"This is against human rights … Even in wars, women and children and patients are protected by some impunity based on international treaties," Ghavidel said, according to quotes carried by the state Irna news agency.
"But sanctions hitting medicine in Iran are causing a silent death and are a ploy to hurt the health of Iranian people."
According to Ghavidel, 75% of the medicines for the treatment of haemophilia are made in the US and the EU, making Iranian patients heavily dependent on their imports.
He said haemophilia medicines available in Iranian markets had been reduced to a third of former supply levels.
"Because of sanctions, we're extremely worried for the health of our patients suffering from haemophilia," he said.
"We believe that these sanctions imposed on Iran by the US and the EU are taking the health of Iranian people hostage, especially in regards to children and women.
"If they really think that medicine is not blacklisted by sanctions, they should let the Iranian government know of the safe way to access them – or, on other hand, they should put an end to the measures against Iranian banks."
In mid-October, a leading Iranian medical charity warned that a serious shortage of medicines caused by sanctions was putting millions of lives at risk.
Fatemeh Hashemi, head of Iran's Charity Foundation for Special Diseases, said at the time that patients – especially those suffering from haemophilia, multiple sclerosis and cancer – are affected.
The charity foundation is a non-government organisation supporting six million patients in Iran.
"More than anything else, we have a lack of medicines for patients suffering from cancer and multiple sclerosis," Hashemi told the conservative website Tabnak at the time.
"Those with thalassaemia or in need of dialysis are facing difficulties too – all because of sanctions against banks or problems with transferring foreign currency."
Earlier this month, the New York Times published a detailed report on how sanctions were taking an unexpected toll on medical imports, including medicines such as Herceptin, which is made in the US.
Among other medicines said to be scarce in Iranian pharmacies is the tetanus vaccine.
Baby milk is another imported product affected. Iran produces its own powdered milk, which is abundant in the market, but cannot produce certain diet milk types or those suitable for children with allergies. These are imported from outside.
There have been instances of children hospitalised as a result of the milk shortages, but no reports of deaths as yet.
In recent weeks, Iranians have complained about the soaring price of baby milk, which has nearly doubled from 60,000 rials (£3) to almost 120,000 rials a tin.
Western sanctions targeting sectors from banking to trade and energy are aimed at forcing Iran's leaders to comply with their international obligations on nuclear activities.
Tehran's leaders have remained defiant against six UN security council resolutions calling on them to halt enrichment of uranium and have refused to co-operate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency over their nuclear programme.
Opponents of sanctions say they are punishing ordinary Iranians rather than their rulers and have so far failed to achieve their primary goal.
A Foreign Office spokesman said on Wednesday: "Iran's leaders are responsible and can make the choices which would bring sanctions to an end.
"But we would stress that the UK government has always been clear that financial sanctions against Iran are not intended to affect humanitarian goods and payments.
"This is why there are a number of exemptions within sanctions legislation to allow such transactions to take place.
"These exemptions have been protected in the new sanctions with such transactions only requiring prior authorisation if they are over €100,000.
"While it is the government's policy not to encourage trade with Iran, Her Majesty's Treasury does prioritise the licensing of transactions for humanitarian goods, including medicines and foodstuffs."
Iran's central bank, the only official channel for Iranians to transfer money abroad, is a major target of the sanctions.
Ordinary Iranians, including academics, therefore have no way of paying for services overseas – such as booking a hotel or subscribing to international journals.
Although foreign providers are not legally bound to refuse services to Iranians, they err on the safe side for fear of getting into trouble.
Many Iranian-Britons or Iranian-Americans living in the west have complained they have had their credit accounts closed even though they have no connection with the Iranian regime or, in some cases, when they are allied with the opposition.
Thursday, 20 December 2012
OPen Letter to Mr. Harper , on Iranian kids
Re: Would you wish
Iranian children with cancer health and happiness in the New Year?
Wishing you and your families a happy holiday season, we
cannot help but bring to your attention, the plight of Iranian children with
cancer. While most Canadian families including yours have the good fortune to
celebrate this festive season, Iranian children with cancer and their families
do not have such a luxury. The sanctions imposed on the Iranian people, and
endorsed by the Conservative Government, have hit where it hurts the most.
Caught between the devil and the deep blue see, Iranian people have to deal
with the aftermath of the sanctions.
In particular, heart-wrenching reports of ordinary Iranians
dying due to a widespread shortage of pharmaceutical drugs call for immediate
cessation of hostilities toward the Iranian people, caused by the sanctions.
Eyewitness reports of the black market for medicine and the tearful eyes of
families of cancer patients scrambling desperately in this market should
concern you as much as it would any person of conscience. The pain and
suffering of Iran’s cancer patients are in part a consequence of the Conservative
Government’s policies. Whereas there is barely any evidence suggesting sanctions achieve their political goals, they
are causing death and devastation to the Iranian cancer patients as you are
reading this letter.
A recent report, for example, from a charitable hospital for
cancer patients in Tehran, Mahak (http://www.mahak-charity.org/main/fa),
indicates a shortage of the following pharmaceutical items:
Amp.BC NU
Amp.Melphalan
Tab.Mitotane
Cap.Procarbazine
Amp.Topotecan 4mg-1mg
Tab.Lanvis-6Thioguanine
Amp.Melphalan
Tab.Mitotane
Cap.Procarbazine
Amp.Topotecan 4mg-1mg
Tab.Lanvis-6Thioguanine
Are you willing to put humanitarianism ahead of politics and
ease the sanctions so that cancer patients, among other Iranian people in need,
have a decent chance of survival? We
believe Canada should draw on its rich history of human rights advocacy and stand
opposed to the flagrant violation of Iranian people’s basic elemental rights
and elect to lift the sanctions
Sa’adi Shirazi once said:
Human
beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain.
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain.
An
opportunity is presenting itself to you . Will you let the suffering of Iranian
children with cancer continue or will you choose to put an end to this tragedy
by lifting the sanctions on Iranian people?
Yours very
truly,
Canadian and Iranian Coalition for Peace
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Open Letter to President Obama
Dear President Obama,
Re: Would you also
shed a tear for Iranian children with cancer?
Applauding your humane reaction to the recent school
shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, we wonder if you would also shed a tear for
the plight of Iranian people caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, as
a result of the sanctions imposed on them by the international community led by
the American government.
In particular, heart-wrenching reports of ordinary Iranians
dying due to a widespread shortage of pharmaceutical drugs call for immediate
cessation of hostilities toward the Iranian people, caused by the sanctions.
Eyewitness reports of the black market for the drugs and the tearful eyes of
families of cancer patients scrambling desperately in this market should
concern you as much as the Newtown incident did. Although the former happened beyond
your control, the pain and suffering of Iran’s cancer patients are a direct
consequence of your government’s policies. Whereas there is barely any evidence
suggesting sanctions achieve their
political goals, they are causing death and devastation to the Iranian cancer
patients as you are reading this letter.
A recent report, for example, from a charitable hospital for
cancer patients in Tehran, Mahak (http://www.mahak-charity.org/main/fa),
indicates a shortage of the following pharmaceutical items:
Amp.BC NU
Amp.Melphalan
Tab.Mitotane
Cap.Procarbazine
Amp.Topotecan 4mg-1mg
Tab.Lanvis-6Thioguanine
Amp.Melphalan
Tab.Mitotane
Cap.Procarbazine
Amp.Topotecan 4mg-1mg
Tab.Lanvis-6Thioguanine
We believe you are a man of conscience, and under your
leadership the world has a unique opportunity to leave politics behind and
attend to the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in the Iranian populace as a consequence
of the sanctions. Will you take this historic opportunity to put people first
and ahead of politics? You are well familiar with the following poem by Sa’adi
Shirazi:
Human
beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain.
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain.
Will you
consider living up to it?
The
following children died senselessly in the Newtown tragedy:
Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Olivia Engel,
Josephine Gay, Dylan Hockley, Madeleine Hsu, Catherine Hubbard, Chase Kowalski,
Jesse Lewis, Ana Marquez-Greene, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Emilie
Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Benjamin Wheeler, Allison
Wyatt.
You have a
once-in-a-lifetime chance to demonstrate your true dedication to fundamental
human dignity. These children’s souls
are watching.
Will you
let the suffering of Iranian children with cancer continue or will you choose
to put an end to this tragedy by lifting the sanctions on Iranian people?
With hope,
Yours very
truly,
Canadian and Iranian Coalition for Peace
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