In Iran, WFP aims to address the basic food needs of refugees, strengthen their coping mechanisms, and support their efforts to achieve food security. Currently 950,000 Afghans and 50,000 Iraqi refugees still reside in Iran, representing a large burden for the local economy. The Government of Iran has designated specific areas where refugees can reside. Some 30,000 Iraqi and Afghan refugees living in 18 settlements located in these designated areas benefit from WFP food assistance.
WFP also administers an education incentive of take home oil rations to over 2,500 refugee schoolgirls and 100 teachers attending primary and secondary schools. A 14 kg basic food basket consisting of wheat flour, rice, pulses, sugar and vegetable oil is provided each month to Afghan and Iraqi refugees. The nutritional value of the food basket is estimated at 1,738 kcal per person per day, which is a significant contribution towards their daily needs (83 percent of daily requirements).
Since integration into the Iranian society is not an option, according to the Government of Iran, refugees are likely to require continued assistance until they return home. In the long-term, the exit strategy will therefore depend on the security and economic situation in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the mid-term, discussions are taking place to conduct a vulnerability assessment in April 2012 to further assess the food security situation of the refugees and determine future scope and modality of food assistance. Meanwhile, all refugees living in settlements will continue to receive general food rations on a monthly basis.