The society is one of the world's largest national societies within IFRC[4] and is noted for its special expertise in responding to earthquakes.[8]
Since inception, the IRCS has participated in a variety of public activities. Its core activity is to perform relief and rescue operations to help victims and the injured in natural disasters and accidents. It also engages a in wide range of humanitarian services in health and rehabilitation, training and research.[4] The society had a therapeutic approach and was regarded a major healthcare institution with thousands of hospital beds across the country until 1979, when all of its medical facilities were transferred to the Ministry of Health.[1]
IRCS is an example of strong national societies that play an important role domestically[8] and is held in high esteem by the Iranian general public.[4]
IRCS has 30 governorate headquarters, one in each province of Iran, and 330 branches throughout the country, as of 2005.[4] Based on the latest structure, it is made up of four departments: relief and rescue (emdād wa najāt), medical provisions (tadārokāt-e pezeški), volunteers (dāvṭalabān), and youth (javānān).[1] The latter is largely made up of high school and university student members.[4]
According to the law enacted by the Iranian Parliament, the society is run by a chairman appointed by the President of Iran. This procedure is in contrast with the elective nature of a society chairman as suggested by the IFRC.[1] The secretary general is responsible for the administrative and executive affairs.[1]
Other subordinates
IRCS owns and runs Helal Iran Textile Industries Co., a producer of blankets and tents.[9] SOHA, a manufacturer of disposable medical devices is also owned by the society,[10] as well as Shahrvand, a daily newspaper.[11] The Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, an English language peer-reviewed journal on clinical and scientific medicine, is another publication of IRCS.[12]
^"IRCS Slams Meager Budget Increase", Financial Tribune, 19 December 2016, 82632949, retrieved 24 November 2017, The government has increased IRCS budget for renovation and procurement of relief supplies by 1,000 billion rials ($25.64 million at market exchange rate) to 5,000 billion rials ($128.2 million). IRCS's budget for relief supplies saw a steep cut of 3,000 billion rials ($76.92 million) last year to stand at 7,000 billion rials ($179.48 million). It was again reduced to 4,000 billion rials ($102.56 million) in the current Iranian year's budget, the Persian daily Shahrvand reported.
^ abcdefgToni Pfanner; Andreas Wigger; Mostafa Mohaghegh (June 2005), "Interview with Ahmad Ali Noorbala", International Review of the Red Cross, 87 (858), International Committee of the Red Cross: 241–253 – via Cambridge University Press
^ abJonathan Benthall (subscription required) (1997). "The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Islamic Societies, with Special Reference to Jordan". British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. 24 (2). British Society for Middle Eastern Studies: 157–177. doi:10.1080/13530199708705644. JSTOR195770.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
