As Iran Hits 25M COVID Cases, A U.S. Nonprofit Fights Sanctions to Help With Food & Medicine

There’s a much shorter highlight reel here as well:

Bobak Bakhtiari, Board Member.

I’m following up my email last week, after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani declared over 25 million Iranians have contracted COVID, to bring your attention to a U.S. based organization aiding relief efforts both here and in Iran. I’m hoping you’ll take interest in this story as a standalone focus, orin tapping into the organization’s leadership for commentary on this or other related affairs.

Moms Against Poverty (MAP) is a global non-profit organization, founded in 2008 in San Francisco as a volunteer-based nonprofit organization to nurture and educate underprivileged children. In 2020, MAP is working diligently to aid children and the poor impacted by COVID-19. They are active in helping U.S. families,having provided over 50,000 meals in 2020 alone for families from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. but are also currently one of the only U.S. based charities able to provide aid to Iran.

In regards to Iranian humanitarian efforts, the decades-long political stalemate, and severe sanctions / banking restrictions imposed by the U.S., inhibit availability of medical equipment to stem the coronavirus’ effects. Support is desperately needed for the most vulnerable of the populace.

This year alone, MAP has supported over 200,000 children and their families in Iran by providing 27 ventilators, 7 ECGs, 6 radiography machines, 3 oxygen machines, 150 oxygen tanks and tens of thousands of various forms of critical PPEs, including isolation clothing, surgical gowns, masks,and face shields. Beyond hospital support, MAP also donated PPEs, disinfectants and surface cleaners to public orphanages and homeless shelters in Iran.

While this is an accomplishment that tackles the first phase of the pandemic, to alleviate the ever-increasing economic impact of COVID-19, MAP has transitioned their effort to hunger relief in Iran. They recently distributed food packets including groceries such as meat, rice and more to 2000 families. Additionally,MAP has launched a bread project where families in Iran receive bread for a month. MAP also have had a disaster relief NGO arm, operating in Iran since 2010. Recently their funds ceiling quota was tripled by OFAC, allowing them to do even more work. More information on the organization’s efforts is in their mid-year report, here.

While there is brinksmanship ongoing between the U.S. and Iran, the suffering of innocents due to COVID is something that should be addressed and helped at all costs.

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