A top official in Iran’s Emergency Services has told local media that 3,000 ambulances used by his department are “worn-out,” amid a general financial crisis.

Jafar Miadfar in a press conference on Sunday said that government has promised to acquire 500 new ambulances by March 2024, and “some promises” have been made for 500 more.

The Iranian government has been facing budgetary problems for more than a decade, when first the United Nations and later the United States imposed economic sanctions, mainly to rein in Iran’s nuclear program. US sanctions imposed since 2018 have substantially reduced government oil export revenues that constitute more than half its annual budget.

Miadfar complained about the current budget, which has only increased the wages of emergency workers but has neglected other needs, such as equipment, vehicles, fuel and supplies.

He explained that 26,000 people work for the Emergency Services and they render assistance to an average of 2.5 million people annually.

Similar difficulties exist in other areas, such city transportation, hospitals and school facilities. Most of Tehran’s 7,000 city buses are also considered unfit for service since 2017, and the government has been unable to replace them, even with used vehicles from more affluent countries.