Washington, DC – On April 6, 2020, NIAC sent the following letter to the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund:

Dear Executive Board Members,

The National Iranian American Council, the largest Iranian-American grassroots organization representing over 65,000 members and supporters across the United States, urges that your institution include Iran in any approved assistance to combat the outbreak of Coronavirus.

As one of the hardest-hit countries by the pandemic, Iran has over 60,000 recorded cases and 3,739 deaths reported as of April 6th due to the crisis. These numbers, an understatement by all accounts given Iran’s lack of testing capabilities, are devastating for a country under severe shortages of medical supplies due to ongoing sanctions. We believe it is vitally important to ensure Iran has the resources needed to combat the spread of Coronavirus both for the sake of 83 million people in Iran and for the success of the global effort against this pandemic.

Ensuring an effective relief effort, with global support, is important for many members of the Iranian-American community. Many of us keep in close touch with our loved ones in Iran and have heard harrowing stories about the challenges of trying to cope with the increasing spread of the virus. Given the struggles of more developed countries, it is especially difficult for a country under such severe economic pressure to handle the impact of the pandemic. The devastation that can occur will not only be felt by the people of Iran and their loved ones, but all the neighboring countries that interact with Iran. All countries must unite amid this shared trial and coordinate our collective responses.

We urge you to help the Iranian people, as you have in the past. We are confident that the approval of this loan would greatly help ordinary Iranians and trust your experience handling such emergencies, and the systems your institutions have put in place, will ensure the support reaches the intended beneficiaries.

Sincerely,

Jamal Abdi, President
National Iranian American Council

CC: World Bank Group Boards of Directors

Download the PDF here.