According to Alireza Zolghadr, the executive director of Mukibs (Pilgrims services stations), the four Mukibs are operating in three geographical locations in Ilam Province.

“The Mukibs on Mehran crossing have been set up on the back of the support from volunteers from several Iranian provinces such as Tehran, Mazandaran, Alborz, etc.”, said he.

Talking about 2000 daily meals on the first day the Mukibs started operating, Zolghadr added: “The number has reached 10 thousand daily meals these days, and is expected to rise to somewhere between 50 to 60 thousand meals given the large turnout of pilgrims on the border crossing”.

Saying that the Mukibs will be operating until September 8, Zolghadr continued: “Along lunch packages, some one million breakfast meals are expected to be distributed among the pilgrims”.

Distribution of some 2 million bottles of water and some other refreshments are among the services the Mukibs provide to the Arbaeen pilgrims.

Arbaeen, is a Shia religious observance that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), who was martyred on the 10th day of the month of Muharram.