UNHCR Iran marked World Refugee Day with a series of events celebrating refugees’ resilience and courage and the country’s commendable inclusive policies towards refugees. With over 3.4 million refugees and refugee-like populations, Iran has become the second-largest refugee-hosting country globally this year. Throughout Iran, a range of events were organized to commemorate this year’s World Refugee Day, under the theme “Hope Away from Home.” These events emphasized the importance of solutions, inclusion, and compassion towards those forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, or natural disasters. UNHCR Representative a.i., Ms. Inna Gladkova, in her Refugee Day message, paid tribute to the courage and remarkable resilience of refugees and commended Iran for its inclusive refugee policies, particularly in the sectors of education and health.

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.

UNHCR welcomes the generous contribution of USD 1,250,000 from the Government of Japan, which will be crucial in enabling UNHCR to enhance its support of refugees over the course of 2021. In addition to supporting access to primary healthcare and education, this funding will go towards the implementation of livelihoods activities, such as the provision of technical and vocational training and support to small businesses and workshops for refugees in Iran. In turn, refugees can then positively contribute to the Iranian host community during their stay, and further utilize their new skills in their country of origin, once conditions become conductive for their safe and dignified voluntary return. Japan is one of the biggest donors to UNHCR in support of Afghan refugees.

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.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomed the generous contribution of EUR 1.5 million from the Government of Finland on 7 October 2021, in support of Afghan refugees in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Finland’s contribution will help UNHCR pre-position Core Relief Items, hygiene kits and tents along border areas, to help Afghans who are recently fleeing conflict and discrimination in their country. In 2021 alone, UNHCR is directly aware of some 18,000 Afghans who newly arrived in Iran using irregular routes, although the total number that have entered the country is likely to be significantly higher. Since the beginning of the year, over 660,000 persons were newly displaced within Afghanistan itself.

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.

UNHCR welcomes the Government of Iran’s move to give nationality to thousands of children born to Iranian mothers and non-Iranian fathers. According to the Government, nearly 75,000 children are eligible for Iranian citizenship under a new nationality law, which was amended in 2019 to allow children under 18 years to apply for the identity documents. By allowing Iranian mothers to pass their nationality to their children, the law also marks a ground-breaking step towards reducing the gender gap in Iran. Although Iran is not party to the UN Conventions on Statelessness, the Government is taking steps towards the prevention and reduction of statelessness in the country.

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.

UNHCR High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, visited Iran from 21-23 December 2021. During his visit, the High Commissioner urged the international community to scale up its support to the Government and people of Iran, who are receiving Afghans fleeing a deteriorating situation in their country. According to preliminary estimates by the Government of Iran, up to 500,000 Afghans have arrived in Iran in 2021. The High Commissioner met with Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mr. Amirabdolahian, the Minister of Interior, Mr. Vahidi, and the Minister of Health, Dr. Einollahi, to discuss ways forward to manage and assist newly arriving Afghans, including through registration and documentation. He also called on the government to recognize the protection needs and risks faced on return to Afghanistan. Grandi traveled to Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchistan province, where he met with Afghan families, including infants and elderly people, who fled to Iran from Nimrooz some four months ago.

UNHCR’s humanitarian supplies to support relief efforts in Iran’s West Azerbaijan province arrived in Khoy, which was hit by a deadly earthquake on 28 January. As part of a coordinated response with other United Nations agencies, UNHCR has sent core relief items – including 3,000 family tents, 1,500 plastic tarpaulin, 3,000 high thermal blankets, 3,000 sleeping mats, and 3000 family hygiene kits to the affected areas. Distribution of these items to the affected families is ongoing. According to the Government of Iran’s estimates, over 35,000 people have been affected – most of the damage reported in Khoy county. Iran has been a generous refugee hosting country for more than 40 years. In difficult times like these, we express solidarity with the people of Iran and we stand ready to continue supporting those in need of assistance.