Over 3 million Iranians have been displaced by the ongoing US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic, the Director of the Division of Emergency and Programme Support at UNHCR, Ayaki Ito, revealed on 12 March.
“Between 600,000 and 1 million Iranian households are now temporarily displaced inside Iran as a result of the ongoing conflict, according to preliminary assessments, representing up to 3.2 million people,” Ito wrote in the statement.
He added that most of the internally displaced are fleeing Tehran and other major urban areas, and that the number of forcibly displaced “is likely to continue rising as hostilities persist, marking a worrying escalation in humanitarian needs.”
The statement added that refugee families hosted in the country, the majority of whom are Afghan, are particularly vulnerable due to their already “precarious situation” and “limited support networks,” with many now leaving affected areas as insecurity rises and access to essential services declines.
Ito said UNHCR is adjusting its response to the growing displacement, noting that the agency is expanding its operations in Iran through reception areas, helplines, and ongoing support services while working with national authorities and humanitarian partners to assess emerging needs as population movements increase.
He stressed the need to protect civilians and maintain humanitarian access, urging that borders remain open to those seeking safety in accordance with international obligations.
At least 1,300 Iranians have been killed since the US-Israeli war began, including at least 165 children killed in a double-tap strike on a girls’ school, as attacks hit civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and residential neighborhoods.
Israel’s aggression across West Asia has also triggered a refugee crisis on a smaller but proportionally more intense scale.
Constant Israeli attacks across Lebanon have displaced a staggering 14 percent of the country’s population – over 800,000 people – from the south and Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Hellbound and Down 