Disasters, Conflicts and Migration

For a more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters Country Profile.

Seasonal Effects on Logistics Capacities

One of the main transit highways is from the southern ports (Bandar Abbas and Shahid Rajaiee Port) to Tehran. This main road starts from Bandar Abbas and passes through Kerman, Yazd, Isfahan and reaches Tehran at the northern side of Iran. Most cargos transit via this road (from port to customs and visa-versa) and during Iranian new year (March) there is congestions of trucks. In addition, this situation is similar in most of roads and provinces based on holyday travels of Iranian population (especially to north of Iran to Caspian Sea). As a Muslim country there are several travels to holy shrines via two main airports of Tehran. Mehrabad Domestic Airport is in congestion for travellers to Mashhad. 

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

The strengths in national capacity include the Comprehensive Plan of Relief and Rescue and institutions such as the Disaster Task Forces, the “auxiliary provinces”, and the existing role/responsibility framework. 

In 2008 under the new National Disaster Management Law passed by the Parliament, the National Disaster Management Organization (NDMO) was formed in order to utilize the national, regional and local capacities to cope with the disasters triggered by natural hazards as well as creating an integrated management system for planning and coordinating executive activities in a cohesive manner. It is also tasked to achieve concentrated information dissemination and supervision over different phases of disaster management as well as recovery of disaster-stricken areas has been another objective of the establishment of NDMO. The objectives of NDMO are to be achieved by utilizing the entire required potentials and means pertaining to ministries, governmental and public institutions and private sector, banks, and insurance companies, military forces, non–governmental institutes, Islamic councils, municipalities, public associations, and organizations in the country.

In order to coordinate the activities of the organizations and institutions affiliated to the legislative, executive and judiciary organs, the Armed Forces and the other institutions and agencies for enacting of regulations and standards governing the four phases of disaster management, the Supreme Council of the National Disaster Management Organization was formed. The Supreme Council is chaired by the President of the country and its membership includes 13 Ministers, the Mayor of Tehran, the Commander of Armed Forces, one of the deputies of the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (the Parliament), the first deputy of the Judiciary, the heads of Management and Planning Organizations, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Corporation, the heads of Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, the head of the State Meteorological Organization, the head of Housing Foundation of the Islamic Revolution, as well as the Head of NDMO.

A Disaster Management Coordination Council has been also formed under the chairmanship of the NDMO Head and membership of the representatives deputizing the related organizations and organs in order to coordinate activities regarding the four phases of disaster management including prevention and risk reduction, preparedness, emergency response and recovery. The Disaster Management Coordination Council at provincial level is formed under the chairmanship of Governor Generals and Governors in the provinces and cities respectively. Its membership includes the entire related organizations.

Tehran Disaster Management Organization (TDMO), affiliated to the Municipality of Tehran, is the focal point for managing and coordinating all those issues related to the probable natural disasters threatening city of Tehran. There are 300 neighbourhood established in all 22 districts of Tehran as the evacuation places for the state of emergency.

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Iran Government Contact List.

Humanitarian Community

Ministries: Each ministry based on its mandate is the custodian to provide the humanitarian services to the public. Ministries have an international affair section that are responsible for coordinating the humanitarian projects with UN agencies and INGOS.

NDMO: The National Disaster Management Organisation is the custodian of responding to disasters. In case of necessity, it will coordinate the humanitarian support between different national organisations such as IRCS, military forces, NGOs and also international aids that would be provided by UN and INGOs.

IRCS: The Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran is currently the country's main humanitarian organisation and one of 190 members of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It has branches in the entire country, and it is the first responder to disasters. It has thousands of human recourses consisting of hundreds of volunteers and it has a well-equipped fleet consisting of different types of cars, trucks and helicopters. International humanitarian organisations have a close collaboration with IRCS and in the time of natural disasters, usually international in-kind donations would be submitted to IRCS or would be handed over to beneficiaries by the support of IRCS.

UN agencies: Resident Coordinator office in Tehran as the head of the country team (UNCT), the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) guides and supports the work of the UNCT, ensuring effective coordination and cooperation within the mandates of each UN entity. UNHCR is the biggest UN agency in Iran with the main office in Tehran and sub offices in Kerman, Shiraz and Mashhad cities.  Rest of the UN agencies only have one office in Tehran. Coordination of humanitarian projects for UN agencies is coordinated by Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and based on the nature of each project and with the facilitation of MFA, the would be connected to each ministry. Current list of UN entities in Iran inlcudes: FAO, IOM, OCHA, UN-HABITAT, UNAIDS, UNAMA, UNAMI, UNDP, UNDSS, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNIC, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNODC, WFP and WHO.

ICRC: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Islamic Republic of Iran works in partnership with the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) and other Iranian organizations and bodies in the fields of tracing, physical rehabilitation and international relief efforts.

INGOS: Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Relief International are the two main international NGOs in Iran that provide different humanitarian supports to refugees and local people in Iran.

BAFIA: Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA) works as part of the Ministry of Interior and is responsible for management and coordination of all affairs that are related to refuges, including the international helps. All UN agencies and INGOs that are providing humanitarian support for refugees, will be coordinated by BAFIA.

Overview

The main regulatory bodies in Iran that are dealing with the commercial businesses and movements of the goods are I.R. Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), Iranian National Tax Administration (INTA), Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization (RMTO), Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), Iran Civil Aviation Organization (CAOIRI), Iran Chamber of Commerce Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA).

I.R. Iran Customs Administration (IRICA)

The Customs of Iran is a government organization subordinated to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, which, as the country's economic frontier, plays a pivotal and coordinating role in the country's entry and exit points and is responsible for implementing customs law and other export and import laws and regulations. It is also responsible for transit of goods and collection of import duties and customs duties and related taxes and technical requirements and trade facilitation.

https://irica.ir/index.php?newlang=eng

Iranian National Tax Administration (INTA)

Undertaking all matters related to the implementation of all types of direct and indirect taxes and all stages related to the identification of taxpayers, filing and preparation of tax identification, tax claims and resolving tax disputes and receiving taxes in the usual way or from Through executive operations (such as customs office) and other matters related to taxes within the framework of tax laws and other current laws of the country.

https://www.intamedia.ir/en

Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization (RMTO)

RMTO is responsible for establishing policies and planning for highways and road transport and establishing executive coordination between different sub-sectors. Preparation of rules and regulations regarding domestic and international transportation affairs and road transport. Issuance of activity licenses for road transport companies and other licenses and necessary licenses in domestic and international transportation activities and providing the necessary arrangements to facilitate transit and export affairs. RMTO is also responsible for all different types of road construction, maintenance and related infrastructures.

https://www.rmto.ir/en

Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO)

PMO is responsible for construction, maintenance and management of ports and commercial maritime affairs of the country. It is also responsible for preparation, regulation and implementation of ports, maritime and commercial shipping regulations according to the relevant laws. Office of unloading and loading and transportation of goods in the ports and warehousing in the country's are managed by PMO.

https://www.pmo.ir/en/home

Iran Civil Aviation Organization (CAOIRI)

CAO is Iran's civil aviation agency. It is the statutory corporation which oversees and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in Iran. The organization was established in July 1946 and its headquartered at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran.

The CAOIRI responsibilities are:

• Iran's skies Rules and Regulation
• Professional and private pilots
• Licensed aircraft engineers
• Air traffic controllers
• Airlines
• Licensed aerodromes
• Organisations involved in the design (DO), production (PO), continuing airworthiness management (CAMO) and maintenance (AMO) of aeronautical products
• Organisations involved in the training of pilot (ATO), air traffic controller and maintenance engineer (MTO)
• Aircraft registered in Iran
• Aero-Medical Centres (AeMC)

 https://www.cao.ir/web/english

Iran Chamber of Commerce Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA)

The Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture is an Iranian non-profit organization that works with government agencies to establish coordination and cooperation between traders, owners of industries and government bodies. Government and private sector representatives attend the chamber's meetings. ICCIMA also cooperates with the government agencies and affiliated or government-controlled institutions, as well as municipalities, by providing advice for establishing trade related the rules and regulations. Two important responsibilities of ICCIMA are Review and arbitration on domestic and foreign trade issues of members through the Arbitration Center of the Chamber and validation of the certificate of origin, which guarantees the validity of the quality and specifications of the exported goods.

http://en.iccima.ir/

Quality control departments

Any good that is going to be produced or imported to the country, based on the nature of the goods, will be subjected to certain type of quality control from different regulatory departments. The main bodies for this purpose are Iran National Standards Organization (INSO) for processed food and non-food products, Food and Drug Administration of Iran (FDA) for pharmaceutical and processed food products, Plant Protection Organization (PPO) for non-processed agricultural products and pesticides, Iran Veterinary Organization (IVO) for non-processed animal products, Communication Regulatory Authority of The I.R. Iran for communicational equipment, National Medical Device Directorate I.R. Iran for medical equipment.

Iran National Standards Organization (INSO)

The National Organization of Standards of Iran compiles laws and rules related to standards and implements and supervises them. INSO has a governmental structure as a subset of the Presidential Institution. Four main responsibilities of INSO are including:

1- Standardization

2- Metrology

3- Certification

4- Conformity assessment

All processed foods and non-food items that are going to be produced locally or be imported to the country need INSO conformity certificate.

http://isiri.gov.ir/en/portal/home/?331765/ISIRI-Portal

Food and Drug Administration of Iran (FDA)

The responsibility for this organization lies with the Deputy Minister of Food and Drugs of the Ministry of Health. Below are some of the main responsibilities of this organisation:

• Determining, compiling and announcing the rules, characteristics and regulations related to import, export, preparation, production, storage, transportation, distribution, supply and destruction of the mentioned materials, products and products.
• Determining, compiling and announcing criteria and characteristics related to evaluation and control over the programs and services of pharmaceutical, food, beverage, cosmetic, health, medical supplies and equipment, and packing and toy items.
• Issuance, extension and temporary and permanent revocation of licenses of manufacturing, importing, maintaining, transporting, supplying and distributing pharmaceutical, food, beverage, cosmetic, health, medical and non-consumable medical equipment and supplies.
• Issuance of health licenses and permits for the manufacture and import of the mentioned materials, products and items.

https://www.fda.gov.ir/

Plant Protection Organization (PPO)

This organization works under the management of the ministry of agriculture and it’s main goal is to protect the country from the entry, establishment and distribution of quarantine pests and diseases by adopting appropriate measures and policies. Below are some of the most important responsibilities of this organization:

• Close monitoring of the importation of unprocessed unprocessed plant products and prevent the import or quarantine the products if necessary.
• Planning and establishing coordination in joint and effective national, regional and international measures to prevent the spread and entry of plant pests and plant and garden products into pollution-free areas.
• Effective monitoring and management to prevent the spread and entry of pests and plant products into the country and promote appropriate measures to control them and regulate plans and programs to prevent the spread and transmission of pests.

https://ppo.ir/en-US/DouranPortal/1/page/Home

Iran Veterinary Organization (IVO)

This organization works under the management of the ministry of agriculture and it’s main goal is to provide health and animal welfare, control, prevention of animal diseases, providing and guaranteeing the health of animal products and prevention and fight against common human and animal diseases. Below are some of the main responsibilities of IVO:

• Policy-making, planning, monitoring and enforcing health and quarantine and biosafety regulations for the entry and exit and transport of livestock and livestock products (national and international) and the issuance of related health permits.
• Policy-making, planning and monitoring to ensure animal health through control, prevention and eradication of infectious and quarantine livestock diseases.
• Sanitary inspection and quality control of animal feed products from production to distribution.
• Policy-making, planning, monitoring and enforcing health and quarantine standards and biosecurity in living, breeding and keeping environments and related facilities.

https://int.ivo.ir/

Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) of The I.R. Iran

CRA established in 2003 under the management of Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. The aim of CRA is to execute governmental and supervision of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in the sector of Radio and Communication Regulatory so that as a supervisory foundation, it could pave the grounds for competitive market of telecommunication and increment, promotion and optimization of service quality.

• Issuance of activity and exploitation license for the provision (production or import) of any telecommunication, postal and information technology services, including terms, conditions and how to compensate for non-implementation within the framework of the Commission's approvals.
• Formulation and proposal of national standards related to communications and information technology in the country to the relevant authorities and application of standards, rules and quality control systems and approval of equipment samples in providing services and development and operation of telecommunication, postal and information technology networks in the country.
• Regulation, management and control of the country's frequency space and approval of rules and criteria for optimal use of frequency and monitoring and governance of the national frequency spectrum within the framework of the Law on Duties and Powers of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

https://www.cra.ir/en/enhome

National Medical Device Directorate I.R. Iran

National Medical Device Directorate is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the authenticity, quality and safety of medical, dental and laboratory devices and licensing the applicants for various actions and processes in the field of production, import, export, distribution, supply and after-sales services National Medical Device Directorate, in order to carry out its institutional mission, acts in alignment with various agencies.

• Planning to evaluate and improve the performance of medical devices.
• Certify licenses and Scope identity certificates to companies and medical device Operators (manufacturers, exporters, importers, distributors and guilds)
• Supervising the entrance and discharge of medical, dental and laboratory devices.
• Supervising the production and export of medical, dental and laboratory equipment including:
• Supervision and inspection of the price and distribution, supply, consumption, use and maintenance of medical devices and supplies.
• Networking and communication to exchange information and experiences between government and non-governmental sectors for the creation and exploitation of business opportunities.

http://imed.ir/DefaultEN

For more information on regulatory departments and quality control laboratories’ contact details, please see the following links: 4.1 Government Contact List and 4.3 Laboratory and Quality Testing Company Contact List.

Duties and Tax Exemption

For updated contact information of Iran custom office contact information, please refer to the Iran custom office website via http://www.irica.gov.ir.

I.R. Iran Customs Administration is a government organization under supervision of Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance which plays vital role as protector of the country's economic borders and coordinator at entry and exit gates of the country. It is responsible for executing customs laws and regulations related to export, import, transit and collecting duties and customs taxes and presenting technical requirements and facilitating the trade in the country. Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration consists of customs headquarters and executive customs.

The customs clearance process is free of charges and tariffs for all UN Agencies in Iran. WFP has an agreement with Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Bureau of Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA Ministry of Interior) that all food commodities imported to Iran for via WFP as humanitarian assistance are free of all customs charges and tariffs. The authorized governmental section is Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) which is responsible for all clearances at the ports for WFP cargos.

For all imported commodities by UN agencies, consignments should have packing lists, health certificates, phytosanitary certificates, certificate of origin, weight certificates, fumigation certificates,  and radioactivity measurement certificates, shelf life (Certificate of crop year), and Commercial invoice. Sampling is done by custom authorities in the presence of a superintendent and various tests are made to ensure that cargo is in line with declared documents and in line with national import standards. Depending on the results of the initial test and probable need for more testing if cargo in non-conforming, clearance can take between 45- 75 days, generating high demurrage costs for the government.

Emergency Response

In the following table, state which of the following agreements and conventions apply to the country and if there are any other existing ones

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response)

In accordance with Article 3 of Chapter 1 (exemptions), section 9 (Exemptions and prohibitions) of Iran customs law, all the cargoes that are going to be used by UN agencies or Specialized institutions affiliated with them and also the cargoes that are to be used by the UN staff and experts, in the frame of Convention on Benefits and Immunities of UN, resulted on 4 March 1974 and immunities of UN professional agencies dated 11 March 1974, with the decision of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Iran Customs office, are exempted from import duties and tax. Regular customs clearance at all entry points are required. Iranian Red Crescent Society has been mandated by Iranian Parliament to do the customs formalities and clear the relief items on behalf of international organizations.

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure: 

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Customs Clearance

General Information 

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

Transit Regime

The customs clearance for cargo in transit is less complicated than the local imported cargo, as the customs authorities responsibility is to make sure of the safe passage of the in transit cargo from the entry point up to the departure point, all cargo in transit is submitted to convoy fees and escort arrange (if required) by the customs. The cargo document should indicate clearly the statement of (Cargo in Transit to – name of final destination country).