Islamic Republic of Iran
- 1 million
- refugees are registered in Iran
- 31,000
- refugees live in settlements, the rest in urban areas
- 81.8 million
- population
An upper-middle-income country and the second largest economy in the Middle East and North Africa, Iran has been generously hosting one million refugees – the sixth largest refugee population in the world – for over 30 years. The vast majority of these, mainly from Afghanistan and Iraq, live in urban areas, with only three percent living in 20 settlements spread across the country.
Limited job opportunities, no access to farming land and a prohibition to keep livestock mean that refugees living in settlements are not able to meet their food needs. Poorly diversified diets and detrimental practices – such as skipping meals or consuming cheap, unhealthy foods or too much sugar – often lead to chronic health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
What the World Food Programme is doing in Iran
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Food and cash assistance
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WFP provides refugees living in 20 settlements across Iran with hybrid assistance, consisting of an in-kind transfer of 9 kg of wheat flour and US$ 10 in cash to be spent on food of their own choice. This supports 80 percent of the food needs of food insecure families, rising to 100 percent for women-headed households with no source of income. The families of 3,300 refugee girls of school age receive additional US$ 5 cash transfers as an incentive for full attendance.
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Livelihood support
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WFP provides refugees – and especially women – with skills trainings to improve their employment and livelihood opportunities both in Iran and in their countries of origin. WFP will engage 300 women in livelihood activities including the production of handicrafts, which will be marketed through WFP’s network. Each of the participating women will receive US$ 350 to purchase equipment and material to start her own business.
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COVID-19 response
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Thanks to a US$ 7 million donation from the Government of Japan, WFP was be able to purchase a three-month supply of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for more than 5,000 staff and volunteers from the Iranian Red Crescent Society and to support 31,000 Afghan and Iraqi refugees. WFP provides food assistance and hygiene items including hand sanitizers and liquid soaps to refugees and conducted personal hygiene training for school children and their families in refugee settlements.
Iran (Islamic Republic of) news releases
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Find out more about the state of food security in Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Visit the food security analysis pageOperations in Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Contacts
Office
No. 7, Nezami st., Ghoba St., Shariati Ave., Tehran, Iran
Iran