As COVID-19 lingers in Iran, UNHCR is grateful for the timely donation of 1,000,000 face masks by the Republic of Korea, which will help protect health personnel and patients at hospitals and health facilities in refugee-hosting areas. The Republic of Korea is one of the biggest donors to UNHCR in support of Afghan refugees. From 2018 to 2020, the Republic of Korea generously donated 6 million USD to UNHCR towards “Protection and Humanitarian Assistance for Afghan Refugees in Iran”. UNHCR is grateful to the Republic of Korea for tangibly showing increased international responsibility- and burden-sharing, by supporting Iran which has hosted Afghan refugees for over 40.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect refugees and host communities in the Islamic Republic of Iran, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is ensuring that another 20,000 refugees can access national health insurance, taking the numbers assisted with health insurance to 120,000. UNHCR covered the costs of insurance for some 100,000 vulnerable refugees last year. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic and the prevailing economic downturn in Iran increasing vulnerabilities amongst refugees, UNHCR has agreed to temporarily increase the number of refugees covered by the scheme. UNHCR is concerned that fewer and fewer refugees will be able to afford the cost of health insurance in 2021 and beyond, increasing the likelihood that they will not seek treatment for their urgent health needs or that they will resort to borrowing money or sending their children to work, just to be able to afford health care.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, UNHCR's reception centers in Iran continue to be physically closed for in-person appointments for the time being. A page was created to provide useful and reliable information to individuals seeking support in Iran, including new arrivals.Please refer to UNHCR's help page for official information, including hotline numbers across the country. https://help.unhcr.org/iran/en/

On 11 January 2022, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations launched joint response plans aiming to deliver vital humanitarian relief to 22 million people in Afghanistan and support 5.7 million displaced Afghans and local communities in five neighbouring countries. The humanitarian and refugee response plans combined require over US$5 billion in international funding in 2022.

On 15 December 2021, UNHCR and UNICEF, welcomed the contribution of USD 2.5 million by the Republic of Korea in support of programs to help Afghan refugees in the Islamic Republic of Iran. UNHCR and UNICEF will work together to maximize the impact of this funding, which will go towards enhancing joint preparedness measures to enable us to cope with the large number of Afghan asylum-seekers fleeing to Iran. This will include activities to improve access to clean water, construction and maintenance of latrines, showers and laundry facilities for some 7,000 people in two new refugee hosting sites that are being constructed by UN agencies and partners in border areas.

On 22 December 2021, UNHCR welcomed the United Kingdom’s donation of GBP 2 million (equivalent to some USD 2.7 million) to help us stay prepared to protect and assist Afghans fleeing to Iran seeking safety. This contribution makes the UK the third largest donor to UNHCR’s operation in Iran this year. The United Kingdom’s contribution will go towards procuring basic food items and tents, blankets, and jerrycans, to be distributed to new arrivals, allowing them to meet their basic needs in dignity. This contribution demonstrates the United Kingdom’s efforts to fulfill the spirit of responsibility-sharing, international cooperation, and solidarity outlined in the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and spearheaded by the Core Group for the Support Platform for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR), of which the UK is a prominent member.

On 22 June, for the first time in two years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNHCR and the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA) of the Ministry of Interior, brought together refugees, host communities, government officials, members of the diplomatic community and humanitarian and development partners to celebrate the courage, talent and resilience of millions of Afghans exiled in the country. A photography exhibition showcasing Iran’s long history of hosting refugees, starting from the 16th century with Armenians to this date, was one of the main features of the event. A refugee handicraft bazaar also attracted large numbers of people to appreciate Afghan crafts, cuisine and music at the landmark Milad Tower.

On 30 June, UNHCR Iran in coordination with BAFIA held a virtual event to commemorate World Refugee Day 2021. Despite some coordination challenges with our counterparts, the event was well attended by some 130 participants including UN and I/NGO partners, diplomatic missions, governmental partners (e.g. MOH and MOE) and a number of refugees. In their remarks, representatives from UNHCR, BAFIA, government miniseries and INGO/NGOs reiterated their support for refugees in Iran, while acknowledging the ongoing and upcoming challenges both in Iran and Afghanistan.

Refugees are actively contributing to the COVID-19 response by sewing masks and gowns for health workers and helping to distribute aid to the poorest members of their communities. Dr. Fezzeh Hosseini, a 38-year-old Afghan refugee, was recently appointed to head up the coronavirus public outreach programme in Iran’s central Esfahan province. She is the only refugee doctor in Esfahan and provides phone consultations to Iranian and Afghan patients suffering from or at risk of contracting the coronavirus. She is also the head physician of the Razi health centre in Khomeini-Shahr, an area of Esfahan.

Roya, 20, an Afghan refugee, works in a tailoring workshop in Sarvestan refugee settlement, in Iran’s southern Fars province, along with around 50 other refugee women. The workshop was established by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and later expanded by the World Food Programme (WFP). It switched its production line at the start of the pandemic to make hygiene masks, in an example of refugees’ direct involvement in the fight against COVID-19, but also of their effort to safeguard their monthly income. Since February 2020, when the first COVID-19 cases were officially recorded in Iran, Roya and her fellow refugee tailors have produced more than 10,000 masks per day, which are delivered to health and humanitarian service providers across the country.