Iran: Seit dem Krieg nicht mehr so viel Leid

Über die Lage im Iran berichtet Ali Dadpay:

Not since the time of the Iran-Iraq War have Iranians experienced such a volume of death and sorrow. On the same day, Kianoush Jahanpour, spokesman for the Ministry of Health, told reporters that there were 60,500 cases of the coronavirus in the country. As of April 10, the number of confirmed cases reached 68,192 and 4,232 deaths were recorded. It is not just the lives that are lost, but the livelihoods. More and more Iranians have to choose between trying not to get sick or earning a living. If traffic is any indication, the number of cars on the highways of Tehran after the Iranian new year holidays showed that Iranians have chosen to return to work. Even if every health-care professional in Iran is advising them to stay indoors, the Iranian government has decided not to force Iranians to take shelter in their homes. Instead of barring Iranians from leaving their homes, Rouhani told his Cabinet that economic activities are to resume on April 11 across the country, and on April 18 in the province of Tehran, the most inhabited region in Iran.

The pandemic has not spared Iran's economy. Like attacking a victim with pre-existing conditions, the virus that causes COVID-19 has left a lethal impact on Iran's economy, which is already suffering from high inflation, high unemployment, sanctions, mismanagement and widespread corruption. The Iranian economy simply does not have the resources to help Iranians protect themselves during this pandemic. The Iranian government has lost significant oil revenues as a result of the US sanctions. Iranian businesses cannot endure more losses after bearing the cost of sanctions and the government's mismanagement of the economy. Many Iranians are sharing the news of suddenly losing their jobs on social networks. Many businesses have closed their doors, not renewing contracts with their employees. A new wave of unemployment is expected, while many wonder if their communities can go through another series of economic hardships.