People’s Referrals to Relief Committee Increased by 46 Percent

The head of the Relief Committee says that due to “economic shocks” and “problems caused by coronavirus,” people’s referrals in the year 1399 compared to the previous year increased by 45 to 46 percent.

According to Tasnim news agency, Morteza Bakhtiari also reported a 15 percent increase in the number of people covered by the Relief Committee during the current year.

Based on the latest statistics presented by Majid Malekshahi, director general of the Relief Committee’s Social Services Center on December 16th of this year, more than 4 million and 200 thousand people are under the coverage of this institution.

The head of the Relief Committee also, referring to “repeated changes in the prices of food items,” warned that if “economic shocks” are not addressed, “we will face the production of poverty.”

Mr. Bakhtiari had also said in November of the current year that this institution’s research in the year 1396 in 32 cities regarding food and clothing poverty reached “shocking figures.”

These reports are being announced at a time when recently Ishaq Jahangiri, First Vice President of Hassan Rouhani, claimed that the government, despite the “poor” state of the Islamic Republic’s oil revenues in the current year, will not allow “the back of the Iranian people to bend under economic pressure.”

In recent years, due to economic pressures and the failure of government-affiliated economic institutions to meet the demands of various segments of the people, especially workers and retirees, protest gatherings have increased significantly.

Typically, these gatherings have been met with indifference by government officials and violence by security and police forces.

Source: Radio Farda