The top United Nations relief official arrived in Tehran today on his way to the earthquake-devastated Bam area of Iran, where he will join the country's authorities tomorrow in launching a Flash Appeal for humanitarian assistance.

Jan Egeland, who heads the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), carried a letter from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to Iranian President Mohamed Khatami pledging long-term international support for Iran's efforts to rebuild and rehabilitate Bam, according to a UN spokesman.

Mr. Egeland will join with Iranian authorities and the Iranian Red Crescent Society on Thursday in asking for special funds to cover urgent needs over the next three months, including temporary shelter, food, water and sanitation, as well as health care and schooling. The appeal aims to smooth the transition from emergency relief to recovery initiatives.

UN and other humanitarian officials are already in the area assessing needs, while teams from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are working out how to rehabilitate Bam's historical heritage.

The earthquake, registering 6.3 on the Richter scale, hit the area around Bam on 26 December. As of yesterday, OCHA, citing government estimates, said some 30,000 people were killed, another 30,000 injured, and 25,000 of the area's 29,500 buildings were destroyed. Approximately 45,000 people have been rendered homeless, but that number is expected to rise to 75,000 when many affected people return from hospitals or from staying with relatives.

To date, OCHA said, more than $80 million has been pledged for continuing relief efforts in Bam.

Some 9,000 relief workers and volunteers of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, along with the Iranian military and international rescue and relief teams, participated in rescue and recovery operations, OCHA said.