Incidents such as the outbreak of the new coronavirus, floods, earthquakes etc. are part of human life and not something new, but governments, peoples, and NGOs should take necessary measures and boost their collective cooperation to manage and deal with these events, the Islamic World Peace Forum said in a statement released on Wednesday.
“It is the duty of international elites and circles to stand against the actions of hegemonic countries and major powers that disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid,” it said.
They should counter and condemn actions like the imposition of sanctions by the US government against certain countries such as Russia and Iran, which threaten human rights and dignity, the NGO stated.
The remarks came as Iran’s administration on Thursday extended the closure of all schools and universities nationwide until the end of the current Iranian year (March 19) as the country is struggling with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
First detected in Wuhan city in central China in December, the virus has spread to more than 100 countries.
The death toll from COVID-19 outbreak in Iran has risen to 291. Meanwhile, more than 2,700 coronavirus patients have recovered from the respiratory disease and discharged from hospitals so far.
Medical staffs in all 31 provinces of Iran have been working tirelessly over the past weeks to contain the novel coronavirus.
The US has ratcheted up pressure on Iran since May 2018 after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).