Attachments
CRISIS IMPACT OVERVIEW
By 12 March 2026, an estimated 3.2 million Iranians had been temporarily internally displaced following coordinated airstrikes targeting Iran’s military, nuclear, and strategic infrastructure launched by the United States and Israel on 28 February, marking the beginning of a major regional escalation (UNHCR 12/03/2026). Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against Israeli and US-linked targets, expanding the conflict across the Middle East (UN News 28/02/2026; Reuters 01/03/2026). Communities across the country are experiencing an increase in humanitarian needs, particularly for health, shelter, food, water, hygiene items, and mental health and psychosocial support, with access to healthcare, especially trauma care, being most acute (IFRC 08/03/2026). By 16 March, at least 1,444 people had been killed in Iran, mostly civilians, and over 18,550 injured (AJ accessed 16/03/2026). Although there is no reliable disaggregation of the people killed because of information constraints, fatalities include at least 200 women, 168 children, 55 healthcare workers, and one humanitarian staff member (AJ accessed 16/03/2026; IFRC 15/03/2026). Airstrikes hit several cities including Ahvaz, Shiraz, Tabriz, and Tehran. Major cities, including Tehran, and southern provinces, such as Bushehr, Hormozgan, and Khuzestan, experienced repeated airstrikes, causing widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and mass displacement (AJ accessed 16/03/2026; The New Arab 04/03/2026; Iran Wire 09/03/2026). Reported figures for those killed and injured vary across sources and are likely to evolve as new information becomes available. They may also underestimate the true toll in areas where access is limited or casualties are not systematically recorded. Disruptions to communications networks because of state restrictions and electricity supply reduce civilians’ access to timely information on potential attacks, increasing the risk of being caught in hostilities and heightening exposure to protection risks. Between 28 February and 5 March, according to monitoring by Netblocks, internet connectivity across the country had dropped to about 1% of normal levels (NetBlocks X 05/03/2026; The Conversation 06/03/2026; Iran International 09/03/2026). 1 In the first two days of conflict, more than 100,000 people fled from Tehran to other provinces, indicating significant internal displacement. The conflict has already affected over 150 cities and villages and triggered hundreds of air raids, disrupting daily life and essential services nationwide (UNHCR 05/03/2026; The New Arab 04/03/2026). Among the most affected groups are Afghan nationals in Iran, estimated at 4.4 million by January 2026, including registered and unregistered refugees (UNHCR accessed 17/03/2026). Afghans are particularly at risk because they experience a combination of pre-existing socioeconomic marginalisation, insecure legal status, and limited access to services with heightened exposure to displacement and forced return during the conflict. The escalating conflict has led some Afghans living in host communities to self-relocate to camps, placing additional strain on humanitarian services (UN News 12/03/2026).