On August 12, 2012, the United States offered aid to Iran after two earthquakes reportedly hit almost 200 villages near the northwest city of Tabriz. The early official Iranian reports cited more than 300 dead, 3,000 injured and some 16,000 left homeless. The United States has previously provided aid to Iran after earthquakes, notably after a 2003 quake devastated the historic city of Bam in southeast Iran. More than 26,000 were reportedly killed. The Bush administration dispatched search and rescue squads, aid coordinators and medical support.
The following statement is from the Obama administration, with guidance from the Treasury Department on terms for humanitarian assistance to Iran. An excerpt from the August 21 Treasury Department press release announcing a general license to aid earthquake victims is also included.
Statement from the White House Press Secretary
“The American people send the Iranian people our deepest condolences for the loss of life in the tragic earthquake in northwestern Iran. Our thoughts are with the families of those who were lost, and we wish the wounded a speedy recovery. We stand ready to offer assistance in this difficult time.”
Clarifying Guidance on Humanitarian Assistance to Iran
The American people send the Iranian people our deepest condolences for the loss of life in the tragic earthquake in northwestern Iran. Our thoughts are with the families of those who were lost, and we wish the wounded a speedy recovery. We stand ready to offer assistance in this difficult time. In light of this tragedy, we would like to highlight the ways Americans can provide humanitarian assistance to the Iranian people:
• Donations of food and medicine, when intended to be used to relieve human suffering, are exempt from the sanctions on trade between the U.S. and Iran, as long as the donations are not being sent to the Government of Iran or any Iranian individual or entity on the Treasury Department’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List). For all practical purposes, such donations to the Iranian people, including transactions needed to ship permissible donations, can occur without a license from the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). [Additional information on food and medicine donations to Iran can be found here.]
• OFAC generally regards the exportation or re-exportation of medical devices to Iran, whether donated or for sale, to require a license under the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (TSRA). [Guidance on how to apply for a TSRA license can be found here.]
• Since 1995, OFAC has permitted U.S. financial institutions to process noncommercial, personal remittances to Iran. Such transactions, which may include a personal transfer of funds from the U.S. to Iran to assist a friend or family member, may originate from a U.S. financial institution but must be processed through a third-country financial institution before reaching Iran. [The guidelines of the General License can be viewed here and here, and additional clarification is provided on OFAC’s FAQ page.]
• If a donation is not a personal remittance, charitable donations of funds to Iran require a specific license from OFAC. Individuals or groups can apply for a specific license for this purpose, and OFAC will give high priority to processing the license application. [Instructions on applying for a specific license from OFAC may be found on OFAC’s FAQ page.]
• Nongovernmental organizations wishing to engage in earthquake relief efforts in Iran can apply for a specific license for this purpose. OFAC will give high priority to processing such license applications. [Instructions on applying for a specific license from OFAC may be found on OFAC’s FAQ page.]
Treasury Issues General License to Aid Iranian Earthquake Victims
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced the issuance of a temporary general license to ease financial transactions related to earthquake relief in Iran. Since the August 11, 2012 earthquake that hit northwestern Iran, the United States has made it clear that it would offer assistance to the Iranian people as they recover and rebuild. The Iranian government has not accepted the U.S. offer of assistance, but non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been assisting in the relief efforts. To assist their efforts, OFAC issued a temporary general license today, which authorizes, for the next 45 days, NGOs with 501(c)(3) status to collect funds to be used in direct support of humanitarian relief and reconstruction activities in response to the earthquake. The general license is a demonstration of Administration’s commitment to supporting the Iranian people affected by this tragedy, and responds to the American people’s desire to provide immediate assistance.
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View today’s general license here.