UNICEF says it is prepared to provide support and assistance to Iran to help solve a growing crisis over a mysterious wave of illness that has put scores of schoolchildren in hospital and sparked speculation of a plot to force the closure of girls' schools amid a wave of unrest following the death of a young woman while in police custody for allegedly wearing a head scarf improperly.
The first incident is believed to have occurred in November, when 18 schoolgirls in the city of Qom were taken to a hospital after complaining of symptoms that included nausea, headaches, coughing, breathing difficulties, heart palpitations, and numbness and pain in their hands or legs.
Since then, hundreds more cases have occurred and it remains unclear what may be causing the illnesses, though some of those affected have said they smelled chlorine or cleaning agents, while others said they thought they smelled tangerines in the air.
"School is a safe haven for children and teenagers to learn in a safe and supportive environment. Such events can have a negative impact on the high rate of education of children, especially girls, which has been achieved in recent decades," UNICEF Iran said in a tweet on March 2.
"UNICEF stands ready to provide any support needed," it added.
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Shahryar Heydari, a member of the National Security Commission of the Iranian Parliament, said that, as of March 1, nearly 900 students in different provinces of the country had fallen ill.
Officials have only recently admitted that there may be a problem, with parliament member Abdulali Rahimi Mozafari calling on the speaker on February 28 to order an investigation into the matter.
Although the scope of the crisis is growing, security authorities in the Islamic republic say they have yet to identify or detain anyone in connection with the incidents. President Ebrahim Raisi on March 1 announced a probe into the situation.
The slow response by authorities has prompted some to accuse the government of purposely "poisoning" students, who have been at the forefront of recent anti-government protests -- the biggest threat to the Islamic leadership since the 1979 revolution.
Alireza Manadi, the head of the Education Commission of the Islamic Council, blamed the spate of illnesses on “the release of nitrogen" into schools, while the Iranian Teachers' Union's Coordination Council said in a statement on March 1 that the events were a case of “bioterrorism.”
Neither group has provided evidence to back up their claims and RFE/RL could not independently verify them.
Iran has been roiled by unrest since the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody for allegedly wearing a hijab, or head scarf, improperly.
The government has held several counterrallies to try to quell the dissent, but people continue to take to the streets across the country, as universities and schools have become leading venues for clashes between protesters and the authorities.
Security forces have also launched a series of raids on schools across the country, violently arresting students, especially female students, who have defiantly taken off their hijabs in protest.