Challenges and Needs of the Iranian Red Crescent Society in Response to the Great Flood of Iran in 2019

INTRODUCTION: In the first half of April 2019, heavy rains in central and western parts of Iran resulted in great floods. The rains affected 24 provinces and caused extensive damage to urban and rural infrastructure. Since Iran, especially the northern, western, and southern provinces of Iran are prone to floods, the floods are expected to occur every year in many provinces. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the needs and problems of the Red Crescent Society in different provinces of Iran in response to the great flood of Iran in 2019. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in all provinces of Iran after the end of the flood response operations in April 2017. The required data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire and interviews with provincial operational managers. The designed questionnaire had different parts about the situation of the provinces in the face of floods, the most important problems faced during floods, and the most important needs for facing floods. Participants were also asked two questions about the information and equipment they should have had before the flood. FINDINGS: Analysis of the answers revealed that 24 provinces (77.41% of the country) were affected by the floods. The most common problems were lack of equipment and low public awareness which were repeated by the subjects 24 and 17 times, respectively. Moreover, the need for specialized equipment and training courses were also the most important needs. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, the Iranian Red Crescent Society faced many problems and needs during the disaster relief process in the 2019 flood which indicated the lack of a comprehensive plan for flood management in Iran. Therefore, policymakers and disaster managers must develop practical and localized guidelines for relief according to the conditions of Iran in order to achieve the ultimate goal of disaster management which is to reduce deaths, injuries, and financial damages.