Attachments
Overview
Key messages
• Despite a globally dire funding situation in 2023, WFP Iran was able to secure more than 75 percent of its funding and address the daily food requirements of around 33,000 vulnerable refugees.
• WFP beneficiaries showed an overall 13 percent improvement in their food consumption level compared to the previous year due to sustained and enhanced support, amid the difficult economic situation in Iran.
• WFP and partners responded to a devastating earthquake emergency in Khoy city by delivering family food packages to the 9,780 affected population.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has been hosting millions of Afghan refugees over the past four decades. There are roughly 4.5 million Afghans currently living in Iran. Comprised of refugee populations and people living in refugee-like [1] conditions, most of whom live alongside host communities in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. Around 33,000 of the most vulnerable documented refugees live in 20 settlements in 13 provinces of Iran.
These vulnerable refugees require support to meet their basic needs, and the government and UN agencies provide them with shelter, food, primary health care services, and education free of charge.
WFP’s response in Iran focuses on addressing the food security needs of the most vulnerable refugees living in settlements. WFP provides food, education, and livelihood assistance through a hybrid modality of in-kind food, unconditional cash, and capacity strengthening to refugees.
Afghans in Iran have faced major economic challenges in the past few years. Reduced income opportunities and subsequent reduced purchasing power have adversely affected their livelihoods and wellbeing; especially those vulnerable refugees living in settlements.
WFP’s response for the first quarter of 2023 was under WFP Iran’s Interim Country Strategic Plan (ICSP) (2018-2023). In April 2023, WFP launched its second ICSP (2023-2025), which has the aim to continue assistance to refugees while meeting increased needs.
WFP’s assistance to the refugees has improved food consumption and dietary diversity, as evidenced by the 2023 Post Distribution Monitoring analysis.
In addition to the unconditional assistance provided to around 33,000 refugees inside settlements, WFP also provided conditional support for students attending primary schools and junior high schools. Through WFP's school meals programme, around 8,620 refugee school children (49 percent girls) at primary schools and junior high schools and their 610 Iranian teachers (30 percent women) received nutritious school snacks throughout the scholastic year. The snacks included fortified milk and either a date bar or whole grain biscuit for every day of school attendance to support their education and nutrition. Under the same programme, around 2,900 girls at primary schools and junior high schools also received cash incentives to support their education in line with girl’s empowerment.
Fostering refugees’ self-reliance and livelihood opportunities, income-generating activities for refugee beneficiaries, especially women and girls were supported. Following the successful establishment of bakeries in some settlements in the past years, WFP supported equipping a bakery in 2023 in one settlement to improve the efficiency of the baking process and the quality of the bread for around 1,400 inhabitants of the settlement.
WFP’s commitment to support the government of Iran’s assistance response for crisis-affected populations was further reinforced by WFP ‘s provision of locally procured emergency family food packs to around 9,780 Iranian people affected by an earthquake in Khoy city in May, through its cooperating partner, the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS).
WFP continued to play an active role in the interagency fora such as the United Nations Country Team, the Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRP), and Interagency Cash, Livelihood, Education and Protection Working Groups. WFP also continued its cooperation with its non-governmental partners, including UNHCR, IRCS and International non-governmental organizations (INGOs) such as Relief International and Norwegian Refugee Council, Cooperazione e Sviluppo (Cesvi) across different forums and scopes such as conducting joint Post Distribution Monitoring with UNHCR and attending various interagency working groups.
The Bureau for Alien and Foreign Immigrant Affairs (BAFIA) used to be the main government counterpart responsible for coordinating all matters related to refugees and the main entity cooperating with all international agencies in Iran. The Iranian Parliament has been discussing a significant structural change aimed at replacing the existing migration and asylum systems, namely BAFIA, with a new one. As part of this change, the National Organization for Migration (NOM) was established in early 2023, with BAFIA operating as one of its offices. This transition has initially created difficulty in the smooth implementation of projects throughout 2023. Nonetheless, it is expected that this organizational change will ultimately lead to improved management of migration and asylum in the future.