UNHCR has stepped up its cash assistance to support thousands of extremely vulnerable refugees whose livelihoods have been severely impacted by the continuing coronavirus pandemic in Iran. Iran’s economy has already been under substantial strain during the past two years, but COVID-19 has very severely worsened economic conditions. UNHCR has supported more than 20,000 refugees since the beginning of the pandemic. Some 9,000 among those have recently benefitted from a cash assistance scheme through pre-paid cards. These refugees are suffering from serious health conditions and are in need of urgent support. Each household receives some US$300 (a one-off payment) – enough to cover up to three months of basic expenditures.

Rozma Ghafouri, 29, an Afghan refugee living in Iran, won the 2020 Nansen Refugee Award for the Asia region, for her commendable work helping children at risk in Shiraz, Iran. As a football coach and a youth counsellor, she draws on her own at-times harsh childhood to get young refugees and undocumented Afghans aged between 11 and 15 – out of work and back into school.