China to provide USD 200,000 for victims of bomb attack on Iranian school
Beijing (PTI): China on Friday said it will provide USD 200,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance to the students killed in an airstrike on an elementary school in Iran in the ongoing joint US-Israel attacks on the country.
China expresses deep condolences regarding the deaths of students in the recent attack on an Iranian elementary school and extends sincere sympathies to their families, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a media briefing here.
Red Cross Society of China has decided to provide the Iranian Red Crescent Society with USD 200,000 in emergency humanitarian assistance, he said.
Guo said China condemns all indiscriminate attacks against civilians and non-military targets. Targeting schools and harming children constitute a severe violation of international humanitarian law and cross the bottom line of human morality and conscience, he added.
"China is willing to continue to offer necessary support to Iran in the spirit of humanitarianism to help the Iranian people overcome the difficulties," he said.
According to a statement by the United Nations on March 1, missiles reportedly destroyed a girl’s primary school in Minab, southern Iran, killing around 150 and wounding almost 100. Many students are believed to be among the dead. Iran has blamed the US and Israel for the attack on the school.
The US military's Central Command (Centcom) said it was looking into reports of the incident, while Israel's military said it was "not aware" of any IDF operations in the area, the BBC reported.
The girls' school was located in Minab, near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base, which has previously been a target, it said.
Since the outbreak of hostilities with Israel and the US bombing Iran, leading to the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, China, a close ally of Tehran, has been calling for an immediate stop to military operations with a ceasefire.
China urges parties to stop military operations at once, avoid further escalation, and prevent the regional turmoil from having a larger impact on global economic growth, Guo said in his media briefing on Thursday.
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Difficult to supply commercial cylinders to hotels for about a week or 10 days: K'taka Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa told the Legislative Council on Friday that supplying commercial cylinders to hotels or restaurants will be difficult for about a week or ten days because there is no stock.
Amid supply constraints caused by the West Asia conflict, he, however, said there are indications that the situation will improve in coming days.
"Today, I again held a meeting with oil companies, along with our department's secretary and commissioner. The commercial gas will be supplied for essential places like hospitals, hostels, residential schools. For now, there is a supply issue. By and large, the situation will improve and supplies will smoothen after one week," Muniyappa said.
He said commercial gas cylinder supplies will be ensured for essential services like hospitals and student hostels.
"It will be difficult to supply commercial cylinders to hotels for about a week or ten days as there is no stock. If there is stock, 20-25 per cent can be supplied. Companies have assured that whatever is there in stock will be supplied to essential services, and they are supplying," he said, adding that he has also asked the companies to ensure supplies to autos that run on LPG gas.
The minister was responding to questions raised by Congress MLCs Nagaraju Yadav and Ivan D'Souza during zero hour.
Asking hotels to be patient for a few days, the minister said, "I have suggested hotels use alternatives like electric stoves, among others, and prepare food only in the quantity required for a week or ten days. There are indications that the situation will improve in a week to ten days."
"Two vessels have come (from the Middle East). Ten to twelve more vessels are likely to come from that region. I'm not giving assurance, as they are yet to start from there. With two vessels on the way, there will be some improvement in the situation. Once others start from there, necessary arrangements can be made here for supplies," he said.
Instructions have been given to the deputy commissioners in the districts to take necessary action as per the Essential Commodities Act against those indulging in illegalities concerning gas supplies, such as black marketing, Muniyappa said.
There are complaints about gas cylinders being sold at double the rate, and the police commissioner and DGP have been asked to keep watch on this, and to ensure that there is no black marketing, he added.
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