In February, Iran became one of the countries most affected by the coronavirus epidemic after China. Despite months of efforts to combat the pandemic, the number of COVID-19 infections has surged again in recent weeks. Reports indicate that quarantine restrictions have been reinstated in several regions, including Iranian Azerbaijan. In an interview with Voice of America, national activist and psychiatrist Simin Sabri discussed the latest situation regarding the coronavirus epidemic in Iranian Azerbaijan and the public reaction to the Iranian government’s efforts to contain the virus.
Simin Sabri stated that in the early days of the outbreak, the Iranian government’s delay in implementing quarantine measures, religious leaders’ attempts to downplay the severity of the epidemic, and the lack of economic measures to address the pandemic’s impact resulted in the situation spiraling out of control, significantly affecting Iranian Azerbaijan.
According to her, the dire economic situation caused by sanctions has had a particularly severe impact on the healthcare and education systems. She noted that the epidemic has been especially critical in regions inhabited by ethnic minorities due to the lack of sufficient resources.
"As the authorities themselves admit, central Urmia, West Azerbaijan province, and Sistan-Baluchestan are currently among the worst-affected areas. Based on our observations, even under normal circumstances, the number of hospital beds per 1,000 people in these two provinces should be 4.8, but in reality, it does not even reach 1.5. In Sistan-Baluchestan, this figure has dropped to 0.8. Due to both sanctions and the weakening of Iran’s economy, the healthcare and education systems are particularly affected," she said.
Simin Sabri emphasized that the pandemic has once again exposed the inequalities and lack of equal opportunities in regions inhabited by Iran’s ethnic minorities. She pointed out that the unequal distribution of the state budget has led to economic stagnation, reduced access to education, and a deteriorating healthcare system in these areas.
"The budget is primarily allocated to major cities, especially Tehran and its surrounding regions, allowing them to develop further," she said.
She further stated that the pandemic has clearly highlighted the extent to which infrastructure investments in Iranian Azerbaijan have been "unequally and unfairly distributed."
Simin Sabri also noted the psychological impact of the crisis, citing "economic pressures, fear of job loss, and government repression" as factors that have placed a severe mental burden on the population.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Simin Səbri: Koronavirus və iqtisadi təzyiqlər İran Azərbaycanında insanların durumunu çox ağırlaşdırıb