Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 12 /Trend, D.Khatinoglu/
Despite the number of victims of the Saturday earthquake in northwestern Iranian province of East Azerbaijan has reached 300, while about 2,500 people were injured, the Islamic Republic on Sunday rejected foreign aid for the quake victims.
Japanese ambassador to Tehran Kinichi Komano said during a meeting with Iran's deputy foreign minister Mehdi Akhundzadeh that his country is ready to provide necessary humanitarian aid to Iran. In addition, Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, Turkey, Doctors Without Borders organization and UNICEF office in Tehran also offered their help to Iran, ISNA reported.
Azerbaijan also has made an offer to Iran on humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of the earthquake, Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev told Trend on Sunday.
However, a spokesman for Iran's Red Crescent, Pouya Hajian, stated that there is no need in foreign aid, ISNA reported.
Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar has also rejected offers of foreign aid.
Meanwhile, the governor of the quake-hit Ahar, Reza Sadighi, said that the city seriously lacks food and other necessary supplies. According to him, the process of providing aid to the quake victims goes very slowly.
Two quakes struck within 11 minutes of each other on Saturday, according to the US Geological Survey, and officials said the towns of Ahar and Varzaqan were the worst hit.
The death toll from the earthquake has reached 300 people, about 2,500 were injured, ISNA news agency quoted the Head of Iranian Red Crescent Society Mahmud Muzaffar.