A final handover workshop as “Risk Awareness and Safer behavior (RASB) on mines and explosive ordnance” was held for 2 groups of the (Iranian Red Crescent Society) IRCS RASB on 7-12 October 2023. This workshop brought together 100 RASB facilitators representing six provinces of Iran, divided into two groups.

All RASB awareness material, guidelines, tools, forms, also MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) tools that should/can be used for risk awareness among affected populations by weapon contamination were reviewed and handed over to the participants with special focus on exercising quality assurance, impact assessment tools, also lessons learned. Moreover, future of the RASB activities and priorities at filed level were brainstormed with all the RASB team of the IRCS and the lesson learned booklet was shared with the participants.

Throughout the course of these 2 separates 3-day workshops, the ICRC ensured that all IRCS RASB facilitators possess a comprehensive understanding of the existing tools and guidelines essential for the seamless implementation of RASB activities nationwide. The ultimate objective of this endeavour was to facilitate the uninterrupted continuity of RASB operations under the purview of the RARO in the upcoming years, even in the absence of ICRC resources within the country after closing the WeC Program of the Tehran delegation by end of 2023.

The RASB activities in Iran are being implemented (jointly by the ICRC and the IRCS) for Iranians living at western border of the country affected by the weapon contamination in the aftermath of war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s. Also, around 1000-2000 Afghan returnees (on a daily basis) to their country are receiving RASB before leaving Iran and entering Afghanistan at eastern border of Iran (Dogharoon  border) because of high level of weapon contamination in Afghanistan.

Moreover, a 2-day field visit to the RASB activities at the West Azarbaijan province was done (by the Head of Operations and the WeC team) to monitor the quality of RASB activities done by the IRCS provincial facilitators.