Islamic Republic of Iran: Humanitarian Update No. 04 | As of 1 May 2026

This Humanitarian Update is produced by OCHA Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) on behalf of and in collaboration with UN agencies and humanitarian organisations. It covers the period from 17 April to 1 May 2026.

Highlights

• A temporary ceasefire announced on 7 April for an initial two-week period, has subsequently been extended, although conditions remain fragile and subject to change.
• Schools suffered extensive damage, with 1,200 educational facilities reported as affected and 20 schools destroyed, interrupting the education of thousands of students and intensifying psychosocial needs among children and teachers.
• 240 health and medical infrastructure have been reported as impacted.
• Water infrastructure has been significantly affected, with around 2,300 incidents reported nationwide, increasing water security and public health concerns.
• Increasing inflation, income loss, and reduced purchasing power continue to limit household access to food despite market availability.
• Women, children, persons with disabilities, refugees and individuals with chronic health conditions remain disproportionately affected and face heightened difficulties in accessing the services they require due to the overall strain on basic services.
• Response efforts led by national authorities, with support from the Iranian Red Crescent Society and humanitarian partners, are ongoing; however, funding shortfalls, supply chain disruptions and procurement challenges continue to limit the scale and timeliness of assistance.

Key Figures

3.3K+ Civilians killed (figure is for the period 28 February – 10 April 2026 according to the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education)

32.3K+ Injured (figure is for the period 28 February – 10 April 2026 according to the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education)

140K+ Civilian units damaged (figure is for the period since 28 February as reported by the Iranian Red Crescent Society on 29 April 2026)

Situation Overview

During the reporting period, national partners continued responding to the humanitarian needs associated with the recent conflict, which had widespread effects on civilians, critical civilian infrastructure and essential services.

As of late April, authorities reported at least 3,375 civilian deaths and 32,314 injuries nationwide, with the highest casualties recorded in Tehran, Hormozgan, and Isfahan provinces.

Reports indicate that 1,200 education facilities, 240 health and medical infrastructure, 2,000 impacted points of electricity infrastructure, 2,300 water systems, 123,647 residential buildings and 149 cultural heritage sites (including 5 World Heritage sites, 54 museums, and 7 urban heritage areas) across 20 provinces) sustained damage across several provinces.

Large-scale population movements have been reported since late February, around 60 per cent of whom are women and children. Cross-border movements remain limited, with over 195.600 people crossing into neighboring countries, primarily Türkiye, though many movements are considered temporary or precautionary.

Humanitarian needs are compounded by the closure of in-person education, civilian infrastructure damage, service disruptions, rising inflation and loss of livelihoods, particularly among vulnerable groups, including children, refugees, low‑income households, persons with disabilities and the elderly. Markets remain functional; however, declining purchasing power and income losses limit capacity of the most vulnerable households to purchase adequate food. Critical civilian infrastructure damage has also disrupted electricity supply, transportation networks, and access to essential services in several affected areas.

Humanitarian actors, working in coordination with national authorities and the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), continue to respond, although needs in several sectors exceed available resources. Damage to humanitarian infrastructure, including IRCS facilities, has further constrained response capacity in some locations.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) and OCHA Under-Secretary‑General has released US$12 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Rapid Response window to support urgent, life‑saving humanitarian assistance in Iran, enabling partners to rapidly scale up response activities for the most vulnerable in support of the Government-led response. Proposed interventions bring together a set of complementary actions across health (including trauma care, primary healthcare, and MHPSS), WASH (restoration of water systems, emergency supply, hygiene support), and food security (emergency food assistance), all linked to protection mainstreaming. A central element is the reliance on national and local partners, including IRCS, SWO, and local NGO, to ensure continuity with existing national response structures.

Overall, the CERF allocation is looking at stabilizing life-saving services. It will also be a foundation for scaling up a more integrated response as needed and based on the availability of additional resources.