Iran is hosting approximately 2.65 million refugees, of whom 2.35 million are Afghans, 203,000 are Iraqis and 5,500 are from other countries. A WFP/Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Joint Food Assessment Mission (JFAM) visited Iran in March 2002 to assess refugees’ food needs.
The mission found that refugees in camps were in need of continued food assistance. WFP should assist non-encamped refugees who are involved in literacy classes and skills training to prepare them for voluntary repatriation and reintegration into Afghanistan.
The mission recommended that a new PRRO be formulated for 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2004. In view of the different levels of vulnerability among camp refugees, the type and duration of assistance for each group will be refined through a household food economy survey to be conducted in all camps. The proposed targeted distribution is intended to meet the refugees’ basic food requirements.
Emerging coping mechanisms will be enhanced with a view to facilitating reintegration into countries of origin. For non-encamped refugees, assistance will be limited to activities with a recovery element and linked to repatriation; there will be a focus on Afghan refugees in Sistan-Baluchistan province, where vulnerability is reported to be high.
A large part of WFP’s food assistance will be in the form of relief food distribution, particularly in the camps. Recovery activities will target all refugees through education and training. In line with WFP’s Mission Statement, the PRRO aims to strengthen coping mechanisms and to contribute to refugees’ food security upon repatriation.
Assistance is also aimed at bridging the gender gap by improving the condition of refugee women, who constitute over 80 percent of beneficiaries under the recovery strategy.
Under the PRRO, 120,000 beneficiaries will receive food assistance, including 80,000 Afghan and Iraqi refugees living in 29 camps—of whom 7,000 girls and women teachers will receive oil rations as incentives in addition to regular rations—and 40,000 non-encamped Afghan refugees.
For the latter, assistance will include:
Women and children will represent more than 60 percent of the caseload. Food assistance of a daily ration of bread will be distributed at transit centres to 1 million Afghan refugees expected to be repatriated in 2003 and 2004.
