TEHRAN – Children battling cancer are an unintended victim of American sanctions on Iran said one mother who made an impassioned plea for US President Donald Trump to ease her and her son’s suffering. “Maybe I have the financial support to travel to neighbouring countries in order to provide medication, but what about other ordinary people? They are losing their child in front of their eyes. What about supporting human rights? A lot of people are saying human rights, so where is it? There is no support for human rights, it is just a claim,” said Maryam Haghverdilo. Her son Arshia has lymphoma and is receiving chemotherapy at Tehran’s Mofid children’s hospital. The US has targeted Iran’s oil, shipping, and banking sectors in sanctions re-imposed since Washington withdrew from the nuclear deal in May. The restrictions on the banking sector have made it difficult to source medication. "Mr. Trump says that he has not imposed sanctions on drugs, he has rather imposed sanctions on banks. These sanctions mean that we cannot buy medication. It means that we cannot pay European countries for medication to be imported. So what should we do when the medication is not imported and we can't buy any drugs?” asked Haghverdilo. "You [Trump] have to revise your sanctions. These sanctions are not right. Do not commit genocide. Children are innocent. For God's sake, please tell me, what is the children’s sin?”
